Vol. 2, Issue 48 Dec. 8, 2016

SHOP KNOX: Look inside for your guide to unique, local holiday gifts!

DECEMBER 8, 2016 KNOXMERCURY.COM

OKAY—OFFICIALLY NOT A GOOD YEAR V.

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Gatlinburg’s residents, workers, and leaders try to recover in the wake of last week’s inferno

JACK NEELY

A Memorably Peculiar Start to the Christmas Season, 75 Years Ago

MUSIC

KSO’s Garrett McQueen Champions Diversity and Challenges Stereotypes

OUTSIDE INSIDER

A Quick Guide to TrailRunning Sites in the Knoxville Area

ANGIE VICARS

New Column! That ’70s Girl: A Jaws Family Christmas

The Three Rivers Rambler Our excursion train offers a tour of Knoxville history.

The Three Rivers Rambler is an excursion coal-fired steam train that travels along the northern shore of the Tennessee River.

near Kingston Pike. The two-year-old station is built to look just like a historic small-town railroad depot. From there the train chugs south toward the river, where it goes by several UT athletic fields and stadiums—including, of course, famous Neyland Stadium and Shields-Watkins Field, which just celebrated its 95th anniversary—and beneath river-spanning trestles for both CSX and Norfolk Southern freight lines. Then it rolls beneath the historic Henley and Gay Street bridges. The Gay Street Bridge was built in 1898, before automobiles arrived in Knoxville. The train passes Volunteer Landing Marina and the Rambler’s steam-engine house, where the train regularly refills with water for its steam engine.

It’s named for the fact that on this short trip, about six miles each way, you can see three rivers: the Tennessee, of course, which flows through Knoxville, and the two rivers that flow together to form it, the Holston and the French Broad. The Holston originates in southwestern Virginia and flows through Kingsport and Jefferson City before arriving here. The French Broad originates in North Carolina, and flows through Asheville and Newport before reaching Knox County.

The place where they flow together is called Forks of the River. The Three Rivers Rambler travels there, and on a high trestle near the end of the trip the train offers a perfect view of the confluence of the Holston and the French Broad, where they become the Tennessee River.

As the train proceeds east from downtown, you’ll see the Ned McWherter / The Three Rivers Rambler’s course takes it over an elevated trestle Riverside Landing Park, which connects to bicycle greenways. Later, the train passes the that offers a surprising view of the confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers, where they join to form the Tennessee.

Mark Whitaker Water Treatment Plant, an almost castle-like building from 1927 most Image courtesy of Three Rivers Rambler Knoxvillians never see. Then the Rambler www.threeriversrambler.com Except for the Rambler and rare excursion rambles through farmland, including the trains, Knoxville has no passenger service.

200-year-old George McNutt farm, and then However, the city had regular passenger service the climax of the trip, the origin of the for 115 years, from 1855 to 1970. For most of 652-mile-long Tennessee River, seen from a that time, it was easy to get to most America’s major cities by rail. For about rare spot where all three rivers—the Tennessee, the Holston, and the French 25 years after the Civil War, downtown Knoxville hosted the headquarters of Broad—are visible at once. Historic sites Gilliam’s Station, named for a one of the South’s most important railroads, the East Tennessee, Virginia, 1780s settler, and Lebanon-in-the-Forks cemetery, Knox County’s oldest and Georgia. That era ended in 1894, when New York financier J.P. Morgan graveyard, are also visible from the train. This is the spot where the first bought it and made it a central part of the new Southern Railway. Although steam-driven riverboat to navigate the whole Tennessee River, the Atlas, Knoxville was no longer an administrative center after that, the railroad stopped in 1828, proving it could be done. industry, especially creating and repairing train cars, remained a major part of Knoxville business for most of the 20th century.

This holiday season, the Three Rivers Rambler is called the “Christmas Lantern Express.” On several trips between now and Christmas, the ride At one time as many as 30 passenger trains stopped in Knoxville daily, at features readings from the children’s book. The Christmas Lantern, by Karen all hours of the day and night. A century ago, it was easy to get to most major Bishop. Call 865-524-9411 for reservations, or check threeriversrambler.com cities in America by rail. Many famous people arrived in Knoxville by rail, for more information. including Buffalo Bill, P.T. Barnum, King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece, and at least six U.S. presidents, including Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. William Jennings Bryan’s funeral train stopped in Knoxville long enough for thousands to pay respects.

The Knoxville History Project now has a website! See knoxvillehistoryproject.org. Have a look, and use it to make a donation to help sponsor The Three Rivers Rambler evokes that era, and makes for an unusual tour this educational page in the Knoxville Mercury into 2017! into Knoxville’s past. It starts at its own station at University Commons

Source: Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection

The Knoxville History Project, a new nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of and education about the history of Knoxville, presents this page each week to raise awareness of the themes, personalities, and stories of our unique city.

Learn more on www.facebook.com/knoxvillehistoryproject • email jack@knoxhistoryproject.org 2

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

Dec. 8, 2016 Volume 02 / Issue 48 knoxmercury.com “When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I’m beginning to believe it.” —Clarence Darrow

8 Aftermath COVER STORY

The destruction wrought by the wildfires in Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is devastating. How did it happen, and where do we go from here? Thomas Fraser provides an overview of the conflagration and its events, talking to survivors, responders, volunteers, and managers. Meanwhile, Leslie Wylie captures the scene at the Rocky Top Sports World emergency shelter where survivors gather and try to find a new future. Plus: inside the emergency shelter for lost pets, and some of the larger funds to help survivors.

19 Shop Knox Make your holiday shopping a Knoxville celebration with these unique gift ideas offered by local merchants. You’ll not only be giving your friends and family presents and experiences they’ll treasure, but you’ll also be helping support the businesses that make Knoxville unique itself.

DEPARTMENTS

OPINION

A&E

4

6

Scruffy Citizen

14

7

Perspectives

38

Howdy Start Here: Dumpster Dive, Public Affairs, and PechaKucha Knoxville—each week, we run a slide from an interesting local presentation.

’Bye Finish There: That ’70s Girl by Angie Vicars. Plus Crooked Street Crossword by Ian Blackburn and Jack Neely, and Spirit of the Staircase by Matthew Foltz-Gray.

Jack Neely recalls a memorably peculiar start to the Christmas season, 75 years ago. It involves a bet and a bull.

Joe Sullivan takes a look at the search for a new school superintendent—and hopes for the best.

15 16 17

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CALENDAR Program Notes: “Detroit” Dave’s memorial event, Knoxville gets a Grammy nom (indirectly), and the Big Ears film lineup.

Shelf Life: Chris Barrett checks out some films that may inspire better days.

Music: Carol Z. Shane profiles KSO’s Garrett McQueen.

Books: Stuart N. Brotman talks with UT professor Mary Campbell about her new book on 19thcentury Mormons’ public image— and their spicy photos.

24

Spotlights: Guitarist Bill Mize, and The Unusual Tale of Mary and Joseph’s Baby.

OUTDOORS

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Outside Insider Kim Trevathan lists some of his favorite local spots for trailrunning.

Movies: Lee Gardner is not going crazy for the Purple Rain-inspired Rain the Color Blue With a Little Red in It. December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 3

Photo by Thomas Fraser

HOWDY DUMPSTER highlights DIVE Weekly from our blog Read more at knoxmercury.com/blog

Photo courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

PECHA KUCHA NIGHT KNOXVILLE THE NOT-SO-SECRETS OF OAK RIDGE | Alice Taylor | Presented Nov. 12, 2015 “When I tell people what I do, they often say ‘Oh, you must not be able to tell us anything about it, it must be top secret.’ That is totally not true.” Alice Taylor provides some insight into what physicists are up to at the Lab. Most people in Knoxville know that some sort of science is happening in Oak Ridge, but they often don’t know what it’s about and how it might one day impact their lives. She explains how the huge new facility—the Spallation Neutron Source—helps explain weird materials like ferromagnets and superconductors. We enter the world of quantum mechanics to explain how we investigate the tiny, microscopic electrons that ultimately make a magnet stick to your fridge. | Watch the 6-minute presentation at pechakucha.org/cities/knoxville

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

12/8 MEETING: FIVE POINTS REDEVELOPMENT THURSDAY

5:30 p.m., Walter P. Taylor Boys & Girls Club (317 McConnell St.). Free.

Groundbreaking for Phase 3 of Walter P. Taylor Homes’ redevelopment may not be until 2018, but it’s not too early to learn more about KCDC’s Five Points Master Plan. BarberMcMurry Architects and Urban Design Associates will present their site plans.

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

12/9 ‘THAT KNOXVILLE SOUND!’ FRIDAY

6-10 p.m., The Emporium Center Black Box Theatre (100 S. Gay St.). Free.

James Arthur Pritchett, AKA Arthur Q. Smith, wrote some classic country songs for artists such as Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Ray Price, and many others. And he sold them for pennies. He’s finally getting an overdue CD collection, to be celebrated at this party with screenings and live performances, headlined by the Barstool Romeos.

12/10 TREE GIVEAWAY

SATURDAY

11 a.m.-5 p.m., Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum (2743 Wimpole Ave.). Free.

Trees Knoxville, a new arborist-oriented group with a mission to increase our urban tree canopy, is making it easy for you to help by giving you a tree to plant in your own yard: redbuds, sugar maples, shumard oaks, and tulip poplars. First come, first served! Info: treesknoxville.org.

GATLINBURG: MORE WAYS TO HELP While donations of water, diapers, blankets, and other staples have poured in to support the evacuees driven out by Sevier County fires, people from East Tennessee and beyond have also been quick to donate money to help—and even opened their doors to those left homeless. Here’s our list of different ways to pitch in.

CITY MAKES CALL FOR ARTISTS Artists (and teams of artists) are invited by the city of Knoxville’s Public Arts Committee to submit their qualifications to create a permanent art piece in front of the main entrance to the State Street Garage downtown. Info: knoxvillepublicart.state-st-garage.

EMERGENCY ANIMAL SHELTER SWAMPED Dozens of injured, scared, and lonely pets and companion animals are housed in an emergency shelter and veterinary clinic at the Sevier County Fairgrounds that is still operating 24 hours a day.

“People will claim them, then they’ll bring more in.

It’s like a revolving door,” said Kristi Thomas-Elohe, who was on her third day of volunteer work. See cover-story sidebar for more info.

12/13 MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF KNOXVILLE OPEN HOUSE TUESDAY

6-7:30 p.m., Masjid Annoor (100 13th St). Free.

The Muslim Community of Knoxville aims to promote “the unity of God through service, education, and inspiration”—vital things we could use more of these days. The group is literally opening its doors to anyone curious to meet their members or to learn what it’s like to be Muslim in Knoxville. Info: muslimknoxville.org.

M. S. McClellan

Ladies Night

FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE

Thursday, December 15 · 4pm to 8pm Come shop for that special someone and get complimentary gift wrapping on the spot! Enjoy appetizers and drinks while you browse!

5614 Kingston Pike at Melrose Place (865) 584-3492 · www.msmcclellan.com

Delivering Fine Journalism Since 2015

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

EDITOR Coury Turczyn coury@knoxmercury.com SENIOR EDITOR Matthew Everett matthew@knoxmercury.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jack Neely jack@knoxhistoryproject.org STAFF WRITERS S. Heather Duncan heather@knoxmercury.com CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER & DIRECTOR OF SALES Charlie Vogel charlie@knoxmercury.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Scott Hamstead scott@knoxmercury.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Michael Tremoulis michael@knoxmercury.com

Chris Barrett Ian Blackburn Patrice Cole Eric Dawson George Dodds Thomas Fraser Lee Gardner Mike Gibson Nick Huinker Donna Johnson Tracy Jones Catherine Landis

Dennis Perkins Stephanie Piper Ryan Reed Eleanor Scott Alan Sherrod Nathan Smith April Snellings Joe Sullivan Kim Trevathan Chris Wohlwend Angie Vicars Carol Z. Shane

INTERNS

Hayley Brundige Maria Smith

DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Tricia Bateman tricia@knoxmercury.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Charlie Finch

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

David Luttrell Shawn Poynter Justin Fee Tyler Oxendine CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Matthew Foltz-Gray

BUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER Scott Dickey scott.dickey@knoxmercury.com

KNOXVILLE MERCURY

Your Downtown Experience Begins Here

N aturally, our agents possess an intimate

knowledge of our properties, but they also develop a deep understanding of our clients’ needs. It’s the artful melding of the two that is our great skill.

618 South Gay St., Suite L2, Knoxville, TN 37902 knoxmercury.com • 865-313-2059 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR & PRESS RELEASES editor@knoxmercury.com CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS calendar@knoxmercury.com SALES QUERIES sales@knoxmercury.com DISTRIBUTION distribution@knoxmercury.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jack Neely Coury Turczyn Joe Sullivan Charlie Vogel The Knoxville Mercury is an independent weekly news magazine devoted to informing and connecting Knoxville’s many different communities. It is a taxable, not-for-profit company governed by the Knoxville History Project, a non-profit organization devoted to exploring, disseminating, and celebrating Knoxville’s unique cultural heritage. It publishes 25,000 copies per week, available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. © 2016 The Knoxville Mercury

859 Ebenezer Road, Knoxville, TN 37923 o. 865.357.3232 | c. 865.356.4178 Melinda.Grimac@SothebysRealty.com Each office is independently owned and operated

Selling?? I will market your property here!

Considering Buying or Selling a Downtown property? Call Melinda Grimac today for a personal property evaluation.

MELINDA GRIMAC AFFILIATE BROKER

December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 5

SCRUFFY CITIZEN

The Attorney-Toreador of Gay Street A memorably peculiar start to the Christmas season, 75 years ago

BY JACK NEELY

T

here’s a story people of a certain age tell this time of year, of the prominent lawyer who, wearing mainly a nightshirt, rode down Gay Street on a bull, as thousands cheered.

Carole Fields was just a little girl, 75 years ago, when she and her mother and sister sat on the courthouse lawn as they watched the spectacle. “It was quite an occasion,” she recalls. The man on the bull was her grandfather, Lockett C. Ely. The man leading the bull, in the broad-brimmed flamenco hat, was Girtus Maples. Originally from Sevierville, Maples—a stocky, florid, cigar-chomping plumber— had political ambitions. “The Green Hornet,” as he liked to call himself, represented the “Working Man’s Platform” and ran for several offices over the years, often in hopeless races with multiple candidates. He’d been a sheriff’s deputy, long ago, and was once renowned for clubbing a rabid dog to death. By 1941, his main advantage over ordinary candidates was that he drove an old car with a loudspeaker on top. He employed it daily to proclaim unbecoming truths about his opponents.

In November, 1941, Maples ran for City Council. It was the first year another Sevier County immigrant, barely educated grocer Cas Walker, was elected, proving that anything might happen. Cas gave Girt hope.

L.C. Ely was Maples’ lawyer, and had a different opinion. “If you get more than 500 votes,” the elder Ely

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

told Maples, “I’ll ride a bull down Gay Street in my nightshirt.”

He wasn’t serious. Maples was. He publicized Ely’s promise. Maples didn’t come close to winning, but he scored 777 votes. Some perhaps who wanted to see Ely in a nightshirt, on a bull.

At first, Ely tried to put the damper on the hubbub. He’d already paid his debt quietly, he claimed: He’d ridden a bull on quiet North Gay Street, at midnight. He didn’t offer witnesses. Maples wasn’t buying it.

Ely, a Yale graduate who was then a respected attorney of 56, was flabbergasted the citizens of Knoxville expected him to follow through. “The very idea of a puny man of my age, of sedentary habits, even attempting to mount an animal like a vicious bull—well, the idea was just too preposterous to think about,” he said.

As anticipation built, he chose a worthy cause.

“I want to do something for the poor of this city,” he said. Not quite recovered from the Depression, Knoxville was still home to thousands living in extreme poverty. “I want to make the biggest gift, make the biggest sacrifice I [can make] for the needy in my life,” Ely said. “I want to ride down the middle of Gay Street in wide-open daylight in a nightshirt on a bull for the needy of this city. And I want to do it under the sponsorship of the Empty Stocking Fund, Knoxville’s most worthy charitable organization.”

Ely’s sometime courtroom opponent Ray Jenkins—already a

nationally known criminal-defense attorney, he would later confront the red-baiters in Congress’s Army-McCarthy hearings—fanned the flames. He wasn’t just trying to embarrass a rival.

He was chairman of the Empty Stocking Fund.

Considering all the lawyers involved, it shouldn’t be surprising the terms were spelled out in a contract.

Ely would ride the half-mile from the courthouse to the railroad viaduct.

Maples would lead the bull. His contract read, in part: “I will do nothing to agitate or inflame said animal, but agree to make such stops as are necessary for the rider to remount said bull, in case he is thrown therefrom, and will render all first-aid assistance possible in case he is gored thereby.”

Known that week as Toreador Ely, the lawyer went into training at the downtown YMCA, then began working directly with a bull volunteered by a local stockman. The Spanish bull was named Eric. Told that the bull liked to be sung to, preferring Spanish songs, Ely sang what he recalled of the Toreador Song from Bizet’s Carmen. Never mind that it’s usually sung in French, the bull responded.

“Eric’s head shot up in the air, he began to tremble all over, his eyes to sparkle,” Ely noted, “and soon I discerned the rhythmic and perfect motion of the Mexican tango emanating from and along the hind quarters of the bull.”

Ely could sing in French or Spanish better than most downtown lawyers. Fluent in several languages, he’d been appointed consul to Spain 25 years earlier, but couldn’t take his seat due to World War I. “The louder I sang, the more perfect and rhythmical his movements became.”

They set off at 10:30 a.m. on a

Saturday, when Gay Street was typically packed with shoppers and moviegoers. “The people turned out,” recalls Mrs. Fields. “They lined the sidewalk.” Newspaper accounts back her up. Thousands were there to behold it.

That day it was Maples, the perennially disappointed office-seeker, who looked like a toreador. He led the bull, wearing a cape and a red Spanish flamenco hat, broad-brimmed with festive dangling balls. Astride Eric, Ely wore a long white nightshirt over red flannel long johns, and a fedora he tipped occasionally. The Knoxville High School marching band followed them, exhorting Eric the bull forward. Following the band were 25 Boy Scouts and four women in Spanish costumes, stretching a canvas sheet to catch contributions flung from upper windows as the bull and Ely rode by.

The route took them by the Tennessee Theatre, where organist Billy Barnes might have had a hard time keeping the kids inside for the Saturday matinée, featuring the usual kiddie talent shows and Sky Raiders, Chapter 11: Terror of the Storm.

Could that compare with the chance to watch a distinguished attorney ride a bull in his nightshirt?

Ely and Eric got along well, perhaps with the help of Spanish songs, all the way to the viaduct.

Volunteers collected $293 from the crowd, which adjusted for inflation would be today’s equivalent of almost $5,000, a successful inauguration to the weeks-long fundraising event coinciding with the Christmas shopping season.

Toreador Ely’s Ride might be better remembered if not for another event that overshadowed the vivid scene, just a few days later, far away at Pearl Harbor. ◆

“I want to ride down the middle of Gay Street in wide-open daylight in a nightshirt on a bull for the needy of this city.”

—L.C. ELY, 1941

PERSPECTIVES

Search by Committee The new Knox school superintendent’s mission: impossible

BY JOE SULLIVAN

K

nox County’s search for a new school superintendent appears likely to discourage applicants who subscribe to the state’s mantra of raising student achievement on standardized tests and basing teacher evaluations partly on these test scores.

To judge by the composition of the school board’s search committee, it is clearly aligned against the state’s emphasis on what has been pejoratively termed “high-stakes testing” and can be expected to favor a new superintendent who shares that view.

It’s not just happenstance that the three-member committee is chaired

by Amber Rountree, who sponsored a resolution that was approved at the board’s November meeting opposing any use of state assessment scores in student grades or teacher evaluations during the current school year.

Prior to naming Rountree at that same meeting, board chair Patti Bounds said she was torn on whether to support the resolution that was backed by many teachers.

“I guess we’re in a tough position as a board—do we alienate all these educators who spoke out or do we alienate the governor and the state representatives,” she was quoted as saying. Indeed, Gov. Bill Haslam had weighed in shortly before the vote with the following exposition of the

state’s educational mantra: “It’s about raising our standards and expectations; it’s about having year-end assessments that match these standards; and then I think it’s about having assessments that are part of teachers’ evaluations.”

But Bounds supported the resolution, which carried on a 6-3 vote. Then, in addition to Rountree, she named two of its other supporters to the search committee. One of them, Tony Norman, has been loud and clear that, “The teacher evaluation is a disaster and we have to get rid of stuff that’s absolutely bizarre.” The other, Susan Horn, has been more muted.

In naming Norman and Horn, Bounds bypassed the four board members who had a prior term’s experience and went with two of its three newcomers. All three of them sought the office earlier this year as critics of former Superintendent Jim McIntyre (whom their predecessors had supported) and the impending election had a lot do with McIntyre’s resignation, which has led to the search for a successor.

The third newcomer to the board, Jennifer Owen, may be more off-putting to prospective candidates than the other two. No sooner had she taken office than the pedantic Owen began to fill the board’s agenda with a fistful of

proposed policy changes aimed largely at making the superintendent more subservient to the board.

“We have a responsibility to manage the school system whether it’s administrative or managerial or whatever it may be,” she has asserted.

But according to the executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents, Wayne Miller, her assertion flies in the face of state law that vests management responsibility in the superintendent, subject to board oversight, of budgetary and policy direction.

One of Owen’s proposed directives would make any change in the school system’s organization chart, including who reports to whom, subject to board approval. Interim superintendent Buzz Thomas protested that, “To try to do it that way will tie us up in knots. We have 8,000 employees and if I have to wait weeks or a month [for a board meeting] to make a change it will hurt Knox County Schools and make it very difficult to manage.” After two veteran board members weighed in that Owen’s proposal smacked of micromanagement, she deferred action on it. But she hasn’t been deterred.

In a subsequent posting on her website, Owen acknowledged that, “There has been some discussion that these changes will not align with the interim superintendent’s contract and…he has stated that he will not work under these conditions. Therefore, additional consideration may need to be given to whether to make adjustments there or whether some of these should simply include a note that they will begin when the new superintendent is hired.”

Along with that prospect, the very composition of the board may give prospective applicants pause. While Bounds is a lovely lady, the board chair brings the perspective of a retired kindergarten teacher. The youthful Rountree is a former elementary school librarian who fought McIntyre at every turn during her first two years on the board. Norman is a long-retired high school biology teacher whose hostility toward the school system’s central office even predates McIntyre. Owen is a former elementary school music teacher who quit in a huff in 2014 with a public letter to McIntyre claiming “harassment, intimidation, coercion, retaliation and threats of dismissal,” which she said

“have no place in attracting, building or retaining strong educators.”

When the search committee held its first meeting on Nov. 22 with Owen also attending, there was little discussion of desired attributes on the part of a new superintendent. Instead, the meeting mainly focused on setting timelines for advertising the position, accepting applications, screening candidates, and then inviting two or three finalists to come to Knoxville for interviews and public meetings—all with a view to having a new superintendent in place by next June 1.

At least three other major Tennessee school systems (Hamilton County, Jackson-Maury County, and Johnson City) are also in the process of conducting superintendent searches, and all three of them have engaged a search firm to identify and seek out prime candidates. But there was no mention of using a search firm at the Knox search committee meeting. So guess who is more likely to get the picks of the litter.

For a board majority that abjures “high-stakes testing,” maybe that doesn’t matter so much. But in fact the stakes are very high. The last time the state conducted TCAP assessments in 2015, fewer than half of Knox County’s third-graders scored proficient in reading—a key indicator of their educational prospects.

Another achievement measure on which the board has placed great emphasis in the past is ACT scores. A long-standing goal has been to get 70 percent of high school seniors scoring 21 or higher, which is widely deemed to be a benchmark for college and career preparedness. At last report, only 42 percent of Knox seniors met this mark.

Then again, to judge by what disgruntled teachers keep telling the board at public forums, the most important thing they can do for their students is to instill a love of learning.

And in one of Owen’s ad nauseam postings, she opined that making students “society ready” is more important than boosting test scores.

“It doesn’t matter what they score on a test if they go into the work place and can’t get along with other people,” she stated.

So anyone who is interested in the Knox superintendent’s job had better do as much due diligence about the school board as board members have in mind for applicants. ◆ December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 7

Photo by Thomas Fraser

Why it started, how it spread, and what needs to happen next

BY THOMAS FRASER

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tree segment helps explain why an initially slow-burning wildfi re turned ridges and hillsides in and around Gatlinburg into a deadly hellscape last week.

The 180-year-old tree ring from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, displayed in the University of Tennessee office of geography professor Henri Grissino-Mayer, shows the seasons the pine was affected by fire.

The last indication of a forest fire was 1934. That blaze, sparked two years before the creation of the national park, charred at least 10,000 acres.

That was one of the last times a natural fi re of that magnitude burned in the Smoky Mountains. Thus, a tinderbox accumulated over 80 years, 8

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

complete with highly flammable and unusually large rhododendron and mountain laurel, and dead trees such as hemlocks and other casualties of pests and blight. Then came this year’s drought, with rainfall deficits approaching a foot in some parts of the park. And, then, on Nov. 28, came the hurricane-speed winds that allowed a human-caused fi re to hopscotch from the Chimneys to Bullhead to Twin Creeks, where it roared out of the park.

No prescribed burns have been conducted in that area, says park spokeswoman Molly Schroer. But the park has done both manual and fi re-based fuel reduction in areas where the park adjoins populated

areas, such as on Ski Mountain in 2001 and along the Spur between 2001 and 2003, Schroer says. Ski Mountain was one of the hardest-hit areas and the site of multiple fatalities in the Nov. 28 fi re. Wears Valley, where other structures burned last week, was also the site of relatively recent controlled burns and fuel reduction. “We prioritize it on the boundary and do it as funding is available,” she says.

Those measures are inadequate, Grissino-Mayer says.

“It was literally a perfect storm for catastrophe,” he says a week after the nearly 18,000-acre wildfi re killed at least 14 people in the chalets, cabins, and condominiums that ring the ridges around the main thoroughfare through Gatlinburg. Some 14,000 people had to flee the area; 140 were injured. Multitudes of pets perished as 1,700 homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged.

The biogeographer, a specialist on the behavior and history of forest fires

and their effects on communities, has been warning of such of a disaster for 10 years, presenting his 2008 PowerPoint, “Will our Great Smoky Mountains One Day Go Up in Smoke?” to civic groups. He has also warned of the dangers in published, peer-reviewed science journals. In 1994, as a University of Arizona graduate student, he warned of a major fire threat to Summerhaven, Ariz., which was devastated by a wildfire nine years later.

One of the largest controlled burns in the 520,000-acre park’s history was only 2,300 acres.

For the most part, that’s immediately irrelevant to the homeless, the jobless, and the officials facing blistering criticism they failed to provide adequate advance warning of the fi restorm.

But Grissino-Mayer warns that if some land-use compromises aren’t reached during the rebuilding process, and municipalities don’t consider ordinances establishing buffers between developments and the

A

Canadian couple, a Memphis couple, and a woman and her two children were among those killed when flames overwhelmed their vacation homes. Most of the reported fatalities occurred in the Ski Mountain and Chalet Village areas, says Gatlinburg Police Chief Randall Brackins. At least 134 people suffered injuries to some degree and 1,684 structures were damaged or destroyed, according to national park officials.

Property and business owners and renters began to return to their properties beginning Dec. 2 with the exception of the areas most heavily damaged—along Beech Branch Road, Wiley Oakley Drive, and Walker Trail.

It was the largest fire—13,000 acres within the park as of early this week—in Great Smoky Mountains National Park history, but no cultural resources were damaged and no widespread evacuation of backcountry

hikers was necessary, according to temporary Smokies spokesperson Warren Bielenberg. He was one of at least 10 public information officers brought in from outside the park to handle the press crush.

Some park road closures continued early this week, including portions of Little River Road and U.S. 441 through the national park, the scene of innumerable blowdowns and nearby burns. The Gatlinburg Spur was reopened to the city visitor center.

A wooden sign denoting entry into the park—the site of countless tourist and local photographs alike—was mostly burned. Someone draped an American flag over its worst wounds.

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Red Cross shelter was set up at Rocky Top Sports World off U.S. 321 immediately after the Nov. 28 fire.

Three days later, John Steich was still waiting patiently for information on when he could return to his home of 10 years on Cheshire Court.

He had gone to bed after work that evening, aware of the Chimneys fire, but not concerned.

“I didn’t think there was going to be anything in the city of Gatlinburg,” he says. His wife awoke him about 10:45 p.m. after hearing “popping” sounds and noting the power was off.

“I thought she was pulling my leg,” he says as smoke columns still peel off the hulk of the Smokies visible from the shelter and briefing and staging areas, part of the Galinburg-Pittman High School complex.

Then he looked out a window and saw a house uphill in an adjacent development completely in flames.

“I thought the whole place was burning down, I could barely see from the smoke coming down the hill,” Steich says. He and his wife and dogs plowed down the ridge through the fire to the Gatlinburg Police Station.

“I didn’t know which way to go; there were so many fires, we were surrounded, so it seemed to me.

“When you’re driving through a fire you never know what’s going to be on the other end. You just pray, and by the grace of God we made it out of there.”

The police directed him to the shelter. “They were so covered up, these poor guys,” he says, describing the efforts of police and firefighters.

“There’s no way anybody could’ve done anything. I think everyone has

Photo by Thomas Fraser

park, the disaster could repeat itself in even more spectacular fashion—especially if the National Park Service holds off on controlled burns.

“Their priority is on recovery right now,” he says. “We all know right now the process needs to be on healing.”

Earlier this week, the fires were nearly halfway contained; visible flames were out but some of the hundreds of firefighters dispatched to the park continued extending fire lines around smoldering hotspots. Fortuitous rains helped quell the blazes, but their economic and emotional impact is immeasurable.

Hundreds of people, many working hand-to-mouth jobs in the tourist industry, lost short-term incomes when they and the multitudes of tourists were evacuated from the fire area.

Gatlinburg officials were hoping to reopen the relatively silent downtown parkway by the middle of this week, 10 days after the fire brought death and displacement to the northern side of the Great Smokies.

The area, including the city of Gatlinburg, will reopen to the public beginning at 7 a.m. Friday.

“It’s tragic on so many levels I can’t even summarize,” the professor says, red-eyed and speaking freely following a multitude of press interviews over the past week. A television crew waited outside his office on Monday afternoon. Another reporter called during the interview.

done a hell of a job.”

Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters choked back tears at one point on Thursday in one of several briefings held for press that poured in from across the country to report on the disaster. It happened when someone displayed a collection of well-wishes written to city and county officials and first responders from students at Pittman Center Elementary School.

He apologized to the press, and received forgiving murmurs in response.

“It’s an emotional thing—kids sending an expression of their love to all of us, the emergency responders and all of the people, and it’s just something that touched my heart for them to do that.”

The following day he would abruptly end a press conference attended by state and national political leaders, including Sens.

Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, and Gov. Bill Haslam, following pointed questions about the county’s response to the disaster and whether it had alerted citizens and took adequate precautions as fires burned in the nearby national park.

Earlier that Friday morning, Vincent Tolley, assistant county medical examiner, identified the first confirmed victims of the disaster: Jon and Janet Summers and John and Marilyn Tegler. The first announcements of what would be a rapidly mounting death, injury, and damage tolls were followed by comments from Haslam, Corker, and Alexander, a native of neighboring Blount County.

Haslam noted all three “happen to be children of East Tennessee, and we all grew up playing in these

Josh O’Connor, division supervisor for the Southern Area Incident Management Team, speaks to media on Friday in the Twin Creeks section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. mountains, and camping in these mountains, and starving on our cooking and so occasionally coming down for pancakes in Gatlinburg.”

The levity was soon lost.

Waters—the longest-serving mayor in Tennessee, who became the face of the local crisis response—and other officials faced pointed questions from an Asheville broadcast reporter about the lack of an evacuation notice as the fire bowled its way down the drainage to Twin Creeks.

Smokies superintendent Cassius Cash tried to explain the complexity of containing the fire to the rugged Chimneys area.

“There was no dropping the ball,” he says. Four bucket helicopters were brought in on Nov. 27 before they were grounded because of high winds. “You can’t put a crew up on the Chimneys and put a fire line around it.”

The park was in constant contact with Sevier County and Gatlinburg officials, he says. “We work collectively and that’s exactly what we did on Monday.” He was interrupted by the reporter, at which point Waters snapped: “What we’re getting into is folks who don’t know the area and Monday-morning quarterbacking.” He ended the briefing.

County officials later would attribute, in part, the lack of an emergency evacuation order to confusion among agencies and destroyed infrastructure.

“Officials worked diligently to coordinate the warning to the public December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 9

Photo by Thomas Fraser

before and during the catastrophic wildfire event that impacted Gatlinburg, other communities in Sevier County, and the park,” according to a joint press release from Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Gatlinburg and Sevier County, and the National Park Service.

“Throughout the day, on Monday, November 28, officials sent media releases, utilized social media, and held media briefings to alert the public about the status of the fire to help them remain aware of the urgency of the continuously evolving situation,” according to the agencies. “Local emergency managers requested TEMA send an evacuation order to text devices at 8:30 p.m.

“However, communications between the agencies was interrupted due to disabled phone, Internet, and electrical services. Due to this interruption, the emergency notification was not delivered as planned … At the same time, the National Weather Service was unable to reach the local command post. Through collaboration with the Sevier County Dispatch, they were able to deliver the mandatory evacuation alert through an (emergency-alert system) message to radio and television only. Once communications were reestablished, TEMA was able to send a mobile message later in the evening via the (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) asking Sevier County residents to stay off mobile devices except for emergency use.”

The Chimney Tops wildfire was reported to have descended into the Twin Creeks section of the park at 10

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

11:30 a.m., the morning of Nov. 28.

The Chimneys fire, which originated in the higher stretches of the Chimney Tops Trail, was first reported on Nov. 23, five days earlier—the day before Thanksgiving.

A

flock of turkeys on Friday browsed the blackened earth at Twin Creeks, which rises south of Gatlinburg. Not far away, a pair of women sifted through the ruins of a home in the Mynatt Park section of the city, just outside the boundary of the national park. Destruction and charred forest stretched in both directions above deserted yet largely undamaged downtown Gatlinburg. A drive through the deserted town reveals Christmas lights and bright, vacant storefronts illuminating empty sidewalks in a surreal twilight scene drenched in the stench of smoke.

There was little that could be done to contain the spread of the fire, Schroer says.

“This is a fire we’ve never seen before,” she says Friday. Fire-fighting efforts were hampered by the effects of severe drought, low humidity levels, and southerly gales that were recorded at 83 mph before the power went out Monday at the Cove Mountain meteorological station.

The dangerous terrain of the Chimneys area prevented more aggressive initial suppression efforts, she says. On the morning of Nov. 28, that fire then spit embers into the picnic area down below. That blaze in turn sent embers a half-mile away and sparked a hot and fast fire on Bull Head near Mount LeConte. A U.S.

Fisheries and Wildlife Service officer says that turned into a treetop-to-treetop crown fire, virtually unheard of in Eastern deciduous forests.

As earlier than expected winds— which also grounded aerial firefighting—blasted the area into Monday, fires broke out 1.5 miles away in Twin Creeks. Despite aggressive efforts from both federal and city firefighters that saved the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center, pavilion and bathrooms, and the Ogle cabin, that’s the fire that spread into the Mynatt Park area and ultimately brought ruin to the ridges above Gatlinburg, Schroer says. The winds also downed power lines that led to other spot fires in the city and county.

Nearly 500 firefighters from state and federal agencies labored over the last week to keep the fire area contained and monitor hot spots.

Dan Mitchell, the president of the Homebuilders Association of Greater Knoxville, says the rebuilding process could be complicated by both new code requirements that insurance payouts won’t completely cover, and the lack of skilled labor. He says a coalition of builders and developers will examine ways to further protect large resorts and developments from the ravages of wildfire, and “what could be done to help with exit strategy.”

But echoing a sentiment shared by many, he says little could have been done to prevent the catastrophic spread of the fires, fueled by ideal conditions for explosive growth. “It just happened so fast,” he says.

The economic impact of the fires, which destroyed at least 875 homes, is still being calculated, a Sevier County spokesperson says. But it will be immense, evidenced by an empty downtown Gatlinburg at the start of the holiday season and the fact that so many structures were either damaged or destroyed in the city and county.

Later Friday, up Newfound Gap Road, still closed to the public, a media gaggle led by Schroer looked out over the expansive drainage below the charred ridges of Bull Head and LeConte. The fire will leave scars for years, but the forest systems will recover.

“This is not where our sadness lies,” she said as the air cooled rapidly beneath clear skies in the waning daylight some 2,000 feet above the heartbreak in Gatlinburg. “Our

sadness lies in the town.”

F

ire is a fact of forest life.

“Fire plays a natural role in this ecosystem; now, normally, a fire wouldn’t burn as much as this one did,” says Josh O’Connor, division supervisor for the Southern Area Incident Management Team. “For the most part, everything should recover pretty well and I think that people will be surprised at how quickly things will come back here.”

Smokies personnel have a tremendous balancing act, Grissino-Mayer says. Controlled fires are set in the park to help reduce Cades Cove underbrush and improve forest habitats for plants such as table mountain pine and red-cockaded woodpeckers.

But they are not on the scale needed to prevent massive wildfires, he says, especially in the areas where development meets the park border.

And the balancing act involves economic considerations.

“That smoke would shut the towns down,” he says. “There needs to be a greater dialogue; there needs to be proactive management around the park.”

From the private-sector perspective, he says builders could consider fireproof materials, such as painted concrete, and consult fire ecologists.

Developments could include buffers between homes and the park, or Gatlinburg and Sevier County could demand them via ordinance. In terms of immediate evacuations from wildfires, he nearly laughs. In the midst of such an inferno: “There’s no adequate egress point. I’ll put it like that.” Municipalities, especially those with cabins studded on forested ridge tops, “need to think about the environment before they go around issuing permits.”

Gatlinburg city manager Cindy Ogle and Mayor Mike Werner lost their homes in the fire.

Failure to act proactively will simply be “setting them up for another catastrophe,” once rebuilding commences, he says. He ticks off a list of communities that are at risk of similar firestorms as people are drawn to develop the beautiful but potentially deadly ridges of the region: Townsend.

Happy Valley. Cherokee.

“It’s a safe bet one of these places is going to burn up in the near future,” he predicts. ◆

Photos by Leslie Wylie Bateman

Carol Lilleaas

At the Gatlinburg-Pittman High School shelter, survivors gather to find their way

BY LESLIE WYLIE BATEMAN

I

t’s Tuesday in Gatlinburg, and the smoky aftermath of last night’s fi re is draped like a dirty quilt across this mountain town. From its folds Gatlinburg-Pittman High School has emerged as a command center for fi rst responders and a refuge for displaced residents.

It is one of several shelters set up in churches and community centers in the area, and for the fi rst few hours of the day the outpost is eerily calm.

The evacuees seeking refuge in the school’s athletics complex, Rocky Top Sports World, are visibly exhausted. Some attempt rest on cots in the gymnasium, Red Cross blankets pulled over their heads to block out the cheerful fluorescent lights. Others sit slumped in chairs, staring at images of their ruined neighborhoods on television screens, try to piece together the narrative of a waking nightmare that continues to unfold.

Carol Lilleaas watches the screen intently, searching for any clue that her home of 12 years survived the night.

“I know nothing,” she says. “It

will either be there or it won’t.”

She gestures at the dog sprawled on a blanket at her feet. “It happened so quickly. The only things I had time to grab out of my house were my animals and my husband’s ashes.”

Meanwhile, an urgent-voiced civilian has begun circling the room, dispensing information to evacuees.

His name is Erik Cooper and he’s the bearer of good news for some, bad news for others.

He has just come from Ski Mountain, where he broke past the security line to check on the residences (including his own two houses) and businesses there. He took video while driving, verbally inventorying damage, categorizing each structure passed either as “still standing” or “burned to the ground.”

Cooper’s assumption of a town crier role began the night before; as the fi re was approaching, he banged on neighbors’ doors and led a caravan of about 40 people off the mountain to safety. Concerned by the lack of information being disseminated—no

fi re evacuation alert was ever issued— he then drove to the studio of Kodak radio station Mix 105.5. “I kicked in his door, told him to stop playing music, told him all the stuff people needed to know,” he says.

Now he pauses in front of Lilleaas and asks her where she lives. She tells him—Smoky View Road, near Ripley’s Aquarium—and he shakes his head.

A muffled gasp escapes Lilleaas’ lips. It’s the sort of sound one might make upon opening the oven to a batch of burnt cookies, not upon learning that everything you own has gone up in flames.

However understated the reaction, she composes herself quickly.

“Well, it doesn’t help to cry over spilt milk,” she says, matter-of-factly.

“Somebody set that fi re, we don’t know who, but God will get them.”

G

race under fire, in the literal sense, is a recurring theme in the shelter’s refugees. Outside in the parking lot, Jeff Barker has been sitting on a curb for the past two hours. It’s

clear from his glassy, bloodshot eyes that he has been crying.

An electrician by trade, he’d been at work in Sevierville the day before when he got word about the fast-spreading flames.

“I tried to get home, but when I got to Gatlinburg they were stopping people from entering town. So I had to go in by foot,” Barker says.

It was too late. “By the time I arrived at my apartment, apartment’s gone, car’s gone, pets are gone,” he says. “It’s devastating when you come home, and all you can do is flee with the clothes on your back.”

Like Lilleaas, however, Barker refuses to dwell on his own losses.

“I’m torn up inside, but I’m keeping my head positive. I’ll be okay.

I’ve got a very good job, a good boss.

I’ll have to relocate for sure, probably to Sevierville; it’s going to take years to rebuild this town. But those who aren’t as fortunate and kids and older folks … that’s who I worry about.”

What comes to mind for many of us when we think of Gatlinburg is its shiny, thriving side: rental cabins, pancake houses, folksy wedding chapels, and assorted tourist traps.

We forget that all this is set against the backdrop of rural Appalachia, which for all its natural beauty and fierce independence is still prone to getting socioeconomically left behind.

And it’s that backdrop that was hardest hit.

Nowhere is this more apparent than at the shelter. Many of these evacuees are here because they have no place else to go: they can’t afford a December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 11

O

n day two, the shelter at Rocky Top Sports World has awoken from its in-shock daze. It’s tenfold busier, largely due to an influx of area residents who didn’t lose their homes but don’t have power. They’ve come for food, of which there is no shortage.

Tables are covered by a buffet of protein bars, chips, and cookies, and everyone seems to have a slice of pizza in their hand.

By all appearances, Tennessee’s “volunteer state” status is in excellent health. The place is swarming with volunteers, sorting through mountains of clothing and supplies, stacking cases of water, and providing medical and counseling services.

Donated food, clothing, and supplies are everywhere, literally—heaps and heaps of stuff strewn in corners, stuffed under stairwells, and stacked to the rafters. And it just keeps coming, by the truckload. Eventually, the Red Cross puts a hold on donations until there is a more feasible place to accommodate them.

Spirits seem brighter today as well. Yesterday’s deafening silence is replaced by the hum of people talking, even laughing. A family who’d been evacuated from the now non-existent Park Vista Hotel joke about giving Gatlinburg a bad Yelp review: “Worst vacation ever!”

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

Photos by Leslie Wylie Bateman

hotel room and they don’t have family in the area to take them in.

They are working poor families, disabled veterans, immigrants both documented and not, and wheelchair-bound elderly. They are tourism industry workers living paycheck to paycheck who were already just barely scraping by before the fire, and now they’ve lost their homes (if they were fortunate enough to own a home— many are renters, and likely without renters’ insurance), as well as their cars and jobs.

Tuesday’s sunset seems particularly dramatic: bright crayon hues diffused by a thick haze of smoke. Two military green Red Cross helicopters buzz like giant insects on the high school’s football field, their whirring blades illuminated by its bright lights.

The chain-link fence surrounding the field is lined with evacuees gawking at the surreal sight. After all they’ve endured in the past 24 hours, that they have any energy left to experience a moment of wonder is remarkable in and of itself.

Elsewhere there’s a Santa Claus floating around taking selfies with residents, and a crooning country singer is encircled by smiling women.

Earlier in the day the shelter enjoyed a surprise visit from Vols quarterback Josh Dobbs, lineman Brett Kendrick, and several UT cheerleaders.

The gymnasium is still bordered by cots, but the courts have been taken over by throngs of kids playing basketball. Their sneakers squeal as they sprint back and forth across the varnished hardwood, and they exchange playful verbal jabs at one another. Just kids being kids, momentarily oblivious to the tragedy enveloping their community.

Among the volunteers is Jerry Askew, vice president of media relations at Tennova Healthcare and an ordained Episcopal deacon. He headed to the shelter after getting a call that they needed nurses and any help Tennova could provide, and he figured some spiritual care could be useful as well.

It’s been a tough day, he says.

How does one comforts people in a situation like this?

“You just try to listen more than anything,” Askew says. “Let them say what is on their heart and assure them that they are well loved, and we will try our best to make their life whole and we will pray for them.”

By now, the national media has descended upon the command center in full force. The parking lot is full of vans topped by huge satellites, representing all major networks as well as affiliates both local and hailing from surrounding states.

Press briefings are held in the high school library across the football

field from Rocky Top Sports World.

When the livestream broadcast comes on, the shelter goes quiet and reality comes crashing back in. People gather around the televisions to listen for updates: the latest number of dead and missing persons, the newest count of leveled structures, clues about what they’ll be going “home” to.

A

s the week lurches on, disaster-relief efforts continue to coalesce. Dolly Parton, patron saint of Sevier County, announces a “My People Fund” with 100 percent of the proceeds going to help displaced Gatlinburg residents. A groundswell of local businesses and organizations step up to provide aid. Even nature seems to be pitching in, finally dousing East Tennessee with rain after several long months of drought.

After being initially overwhelmed by donated supplies to the point of turning them away, Pigeon Forge opens a distribution center aimed at getting supplies into the community.

It’s located in the old Boyds Bear facility, a massive red barn that formerly housed a teddy bear superstore.

Casey Cordy, a Knoxville resident with a background in sociology and social justice, spent Saturday volunteering at the center. She’s worked in disaster relief before but says it was hard not to be awestruck by the outpouring of donations for Gatlinburg fire victims. East Tennesseans clearly take pride in taking care of their own.

She does, however, offer a reminder that while raw generosity goes a long way, it’s only as useful as its practical application. She shares

the example of a Gatlinburg couple who had lost their home and come to the facility for food: “This lady said to her boyfriend, ‘Why are you picking up so much canned food? We don’t have a can opener.’”

Ordinarily, this should be an easy enough problem to solve: go to the store, buy a can opener. But we’re talking about a segment of the population who now have literally have nothing to their name, and perhaps had very little to their name to begin with.

“What about the people who were already hard off, and then they got kicked in the pants while they were already down?” Cordy asks.

The loss Gatlinburg has experienced is multi-tiered and complex.

Rebuilding, and ensuring that no residents fall through the cracks in the process, will require a community effort that extends well beyond the bounds of Gatlinburg proper.

During a press briefing earlier in the week, Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner fielded a question about the loss of his own home, which he built himself, and condominium business.

How was he coping? Werner answered by shifting attention to the residents of his town, whom he describes as “some of the very best people in the world—very strong, very resilient.”

“We’ve gotten a lot of support, and if you didn’t have the support this would be unimaginable,” he says. “But we’ve all lifted each other up, we’re going to continue to do that, we’re going to rebuild our town, and we’re going to do whatever we can for our citizens. This is a time when we just have to rely on each other.” ◆

Photo by Thomas Fraser

In an emergency shelter at the Sevier County Fairgrounds, lost pets await their owners

BY THOMAS FRASER

T

he sadness is evident in the animals’ eyes.

It’s another aspect of the tragedy that has compounded itself daily since a fi restorm raged last week through the populated ridges above and around Gatlinburg, killing at least 14 people: Dozens of injured, scared, and lonely pets and companion animals are housed in an emergency shelter and veterinary clinic at the Sevier County Fairgrounds that is still operating 24 hours a day.

Some of the animals were left behind by owners who had no choice but to flee for their own lives as fi re raged into areas like Chalet Village and Ski Mountain in Gatlinburg and Sevier County on Monday night. And as of Sunday, the animals kept coming. They were brought by citizens, animal-control officers, fi refighters, police, and residents who rescued them during brief forays into their ravaged neighborhoods. Domestic and feral cats; dogs great and small. A hen. A snow-white dove.

“People will claim them, then they’ll bring more in. It’s like a revolving door,” says Kristi Thomas-Elohe, who was on her third day of

volunteer work. There were 30 dogs at the temporary shelter on Sunday afternoon, and 40-45 cats. Those include some animals that the Humane Society is temporarily boarding because their owners’ homes were destroyed. Owners had claimed about 10 animals as of early Sunday. Only one animal, a severely burned cat that was eventually euthanized at the University of Tennessee, perished after arrival at the shelter, established after the regular county shelter was itself evacuated last Monday.

Lines of crates were occupied by melancholy or injured dogs in one area. A retriever. A terrier. A boxer. A great Pyrenees with a burned nose stood stoically with pained eyes at the end of a leash. Injured cats were crated nearby, one of which was recovering from serious burns.

Some of the animals’ ears and paw pads were burned away as they frantically fled the flames. Cats lost tails and whiskers. Many of the animals suffered the effects of smoke inhalation.

But, in ways, they are the lucky ones: Countless pets perished in the

fi re. Search-and-rescue teams have found many carcasses, says Sevier County Humane Society Director Michaela Sory. Others likely fled deep into the woods and succumbed to their injuries.

“I know some rescue crews are still fi nding animals,” she says. “A lot of animals are confi rmed dead,” adding to the immense loss suffered by those who lost their homes and property.

But the scenes of reunion are part of what drives Sory and the veterinarians and technicians and other volunteers running the shelter around the clock.

“We keep it together knowing what we’re doing is helping the animals,” Sory says. “[Owners] come in here and happen to fi nd their dog, there’s a glow of excitement—it’s one piece of their life they can get back.”

Sory, who at 28 years old is managing the massive animal-care and shelter logistics, says roughly 1 million pounds of food has been donated, and massive tents erected by the fairground’s owner were piled with items ranging from dog food and cat carriers to bleach and mountains of bottled water.

“I never imagined it would be an ordeal of this magnitude,” she said, but noted: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support and help,” she said.

Hundreds of vet techs and veterinarians are either assisting on site or have offered help. The efforts will continue, though volunteer efforts can’t go on indefi nitely. “Until things can be rebuilt we will serve the community,” Sory says.

The stray-hold time will be extended, but Sory says anyone who is missing an animal should come to the fairgrounds as soon as they can.

She says a more regimented volunteer process would be put in place soon via social media to accommodate the volume of support the shelter is receiving.

For updated information on how you can help, go to the Sevier County Humane Society Facebook page at facebook.com/SevierHumaneSociety.

The search-and-rescue teams who have collected many of the injured animals are also in need of hand-warmers following the recent rain and dip in temperatures, which can be sent to Station 1 1230 East Parkway, Suite 2. Gatlinburg Tenn., 37738. ◆

How You Can Help

There are a myriad of funds started to help survivors of the fires in Gatlinburg; here are three with wide-ranging impact.

The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce Foundation has established a Gatlinburg Relief Fund to directly impact families impacted by the wildfires. The fund is being managed by East Tennessee-based SmartBank, which has multiple branches in Sevier County. To contribute, drop off a donation at a SmartBank branch, or mail it to P.O. Box 1910, Pigeon Forge, TN 378681910. Checks should be made payable to “Gatlinburg Relief Fund.” The foundation also accepts online gifts at app.mobilecause.com/form/j-ECXA..

The Dollywood Foundation, which has already committed to donating $1,000 a month for six months to families whose homes burned down in the Sevier County fires, is accepting donations to help those who lost their homes at any Tennessee State Bank location or at dollywoodfoundation.org, where applications for assistance can also be found. Tennessee State Bank, headquartered in Pigeon Forge, has 15 locations which can be found at tnstatebank.com.

The Tennessee Valley Coalition on Homelessness is seeking donations to help an estimated 200 people who lost their homes—including rental housing—to find permanent housing. The coalition is the lead agency for home placement in the counties surrounding Knoxville, including Sevier; it pays rent and utilities for the first month of housing, provides clothing, food, and job coaching. All donations made to the coalition’s website (tvchomeless.org) until Jan. 15 will go toward assisting Sevier County residents who lost their homes.

Plus: To volunteer to sort and distribute donations or do other on-the-ground recovery work in Sevier County, go to the Volunteer Reception Center (a building that says “Theater” on the front) at 1304 Parkway in Sevierville between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. to be assigned a job for the time you have available. Bring your legal ID, dress warmly and bring your own food. For more information visit volunteeretn.org.

Go to mountaintough.org or call 2-1-1 for current and accurate info on relief efforts.

—S. Heather Duncan

December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 13

A&E

P rogram Notes

Farewell to “Detroit” Dave Friends and fans pay tribute to the late local blues guitarist Dave Meer

I

t often takes death to generate an enthusiastic celebration of life. The year 2016 has provided too many opportunities for such celebrations. The most recent loss was that of guitarist, singer, and songwriter “Detroit” Dave Meer, who died on Nov. 13.

A memorial concert to celebrate Meer’s life drew a large crowd that filled the Concourse at the International on Sunday, Dec. 4, to share “Detroit” stories and listen to music performed by a multitude of musicians who were associated with or influenced by him over the many years he lived and played in Knoxville. Fellow Detroiter Michael Crawley, a longtime friend of Dave and a musical partner in several notable bands, was the coordinator and master of ceremonies, but he had lots of help from several of Knoxville’s music impresarios and a multitude of musicians.

The crowd could perhaps be described as the Knoxville Detroit community, which combined many of the old Sassy Ann’s and Hawkeye’s Corner folks, as well as others, rather like a long-delayed homecoming.

Several members of Dave’s family and some of his old friends from Detroit were also present. Perhaps most remarkably, there were numerous Knoxville musicians in the audience who were not there to perform. That may have been the biggest tribute of all, because it doesn’t happen often.

The show itself was amazing and included a retrospective of the many bands that Dave played in and more, from Bluefish to Leftfoot Dave and the Magic Hats, with Crawdaddy, the

MacDaddies, the Kirk Fleta Band, and of course Jenna and Her Cool Friends in between. Crawley and Jenna Jefferson sang some songs that they co-wrote with Dave. Other bands featuring many of Dave’s friends also played, and many Dave stories popped up throughout the evening. Many of the stories were about what a great ear for music he had and what an unbelievable vault of music he had stored in his mind.

One of Dave’s bands wasn’t there, and that reminds me of the first time I ever saw him. I had returned to Knoxville in the mid ’90s after a long hiatus and was just getting reacquainted with the music scene. I didn’t know Dave from Adam, but I had heard folks mention him and had seen his name in Metro Pulse. One evening, my wife and I went to a place called the Spot on Kingston Pike. We thought we were going to hear some jazz by a group called the Nairobi Trio.

It turned out to be a four-piece trio, and they weren’t playing jazz.

The guitarist and singer played and sang with incredible intensity. I noticed that he seemed to stare with that same intensity into some unknown corner of space. I had to ask someone, “Wow! Who is that guy?”

Now, after hearing many musicians tell their Dave stories, I reckon that unknown corner of space Dave was staring at so intently was really the vault of music in his mind.

One thing’s for sure—we’re going to miss that vault of music, that intensity, and we’re going to miss Detroit Dave.

—Michael Gill

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Shelf Life: Better Days

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

Music: Garrett McQueen

Grammy Fever KNOX COUNTY STOMP’S LINER NOTES GET GRAMMY NOMINATION We knew it was a big deal, back in May, when the Archive of Moving Image and Sound.

German reissue label Bear Family released the Olson and Russell are competing against four-CD box set Knox County Stomp: The Knoxville Mikal Gilmore, who wrote the notes for The Sessions, 1929-1930. The exhaustive set collects Complete Monument and Columbia Albums more than 100 tracks recorded at the St. James Collection, by Kris Kristofferson; Rob Sevier and Ken Hotel and other locations in downtown Knoxville Shipley, for their notes on the New York punk during the tail end of the first great era of collection Ork Records: New York, New York; Ken commercial sound recording.

Bloom and Richard Carlin, for their notes on Sissle The sessions, for the Vocalion and Brunswick and Blake Sing Shuffle Along, a 1928 recording of labels, were notable for the variety of music they the Broadway classic Shuffle Along; and Richard produced, from hillbilly and blues to jazz and even Martin, for Waxing the Gospel: Mass Evangelism and a dramatic account of the Hatfield-McCoy feud. But the Phonograph, 1890-1900. the records disappeared almost as soon as they While classic Kristofferson, New York punk, were released—the onset of the Great Depression and a recent hit Jazz Age Broadway revival are led to a collapse of the music business. The exactly the kind of archival material Grammy voters sessions remained something of a mystery in usually go for, the Knox County Stomp nomination Knoxville until the box set was released; Knox may help bring more mainstream attention to true County Stomp features a detailed hardbound book Appalachian music and culture. with recording details, photos, profiles of the —Matthew Everett artists, and a lengthy history of Knoxville’s music scene at the time.

Now the rest of the world is acknowledging the significance of the box set. Ted Olson and Tony Russell have been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes for the Knox County Stomp book. Olson, a professor of Appalachian studies at East Tennessee State University, also wrote the notes for Bear Family box sets of similar sessions in Bristol and Johnson City. Russell is one of the world’s foremost experts on the history of country music. Many of the documents and imagery used in the book came from Bradley Reeves and Knox Mercury contributor Eric Dawson at the Tennessee

Big Eyes BIG EARS ANNOUNCES ITS 2017 FILM PROGRAM The Big Ears film schedule will be bigger than ever in 2017, with expanded programming of features and shorts at multiple locations, a unique site-specific installation, and a handful of live-scored screenings of notable films. The 2017 film program will include 17 feature films, six short-film programs, and several film-and-music mash-ups, including a Jonathan Demme retrospective, with Demme appearing in person; Jem Cohen’s large-scale Gravity Hill Sound+Image multimedia production, with musical accompaniment by ex-Fugazi guitarist Guy Picciotto and other musicians; experimental films by Janie

Geiser and Roger Beebe; contributions from the local Public Cinema series; a program celebrating the recent publication of The Complete Film Criticism of James Agee with Agee scholar and University of Tennessee professor Charles Maland; and more.

For the first time, a film-only pass will be available. Film passes will go on sale Friday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. at AC Entertainment’s Clinch Avenue Ticket Office behind the Tennessee Theatre or at bigearsfestival.com. (All Big Ears pass-holders will have full access to the film schedule.)

—M.E.

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Books: The Erotic Mormon Image

Movies: Rain the Color Blue With a Little Red In It

Shelf Life

Remember When New and newly available films about better days, at Knox County Public Library

BY CHRIS BARRETT

A&E

would go over the heads of viewers born after the war in Vietnam and the Cold War and the ill-fated Equal Rights Amendment, but that has not been the case. It’s a new century but, sigh, every family still has at least one Archie Bunker, lovable bigot, and at least one Maude, who’s going to call him or her on it. Lear—humble, sharp, and lively going on 95 years old—and his collaborators recount the challenges involved in creating that work and discuss why it’s still vital and worthwhile.

PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (2002) SUSAN SLEPT HERE (1954)

Here’s an old-fashioned Technicolor charmer back on the market just in time for the holidays. Decide for yourself whether the plot is racy or ridiculous: In order to keep an almost-innocent out of jail over Christmas, two vice-squad buddies deposit a female juvenile delinquent (24-year-old Debbie Reynolds, persuasive enough as a 17-and-a-halfyear-old) with screenwriter Dick Powell so he can observe her as source material. Powell and his gang decide that the only way protect the kid’s honor is for him to marry her for the holidays, crash at a hotel, and have the marriage annulled post crisis. Anne Francis plays Powell’s spoiled and panicking fiancé, with whom Reynolds toys gleefully.

Director Frank Tashlin came to fi lm following a career in kids’ books and cartoons, so he’s more able than many to present a series of silly events that seems fi ne and fun while it’s careening along but makes no sense once the dust settles. And Susan is a great refresher in midcentury wardrobe and décor, back when the word excess was a compliment.

MY GOLDEN DAYS (2015)

This is a very pretty fi lm, and that may be the best reason to watch it. French teen romance is still teen romance and, beautiful as they are, Paul (Quentin Dolmaire) and Esther (Lou Roy-Lecollinet) age more like white wine than red. Neither is much

improved by time. But their lives intersect over decades and continents and what they do best is pine poetically in lovely settings for that certain something that their prolonged fl irting, courtship, and reciprocal conquests contained in abundance and their present always seems to lack. My Golden Days is a prequel to director Arnaud Desplechin’s 1996 My Sex Life … or How I Got Into an Argument. Both fi lms make great use of great music, and both fi lms make great use of the actor Mathieu Amalric as fully grown, if not fully matured, Paul. Amalric may be French cinema’s last living Gauloise poster boy.

NORMAN LEAR: JUST ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU (2016)

There is a sweet scene in this documentary where Rob Reiner refers to a photo of his parents, Carl and Estelle, posing with Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft and Norman Lear with his wife, Frances. “These people,” says Reiner, “were responsible for most of what made you laugh during the second half of the 20th century.” The characters who populated Lear’s prime-time television portfolio from the 1970s—All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, etc.—came to life in response to turbulent times and tread all sides of the treacherous cultural battle lines that were constantly being drawn and redrawn. You might think that these comedies

One of Paul Thomas Anderson’s most moving early efforts and Adam Sandler’s fi rst non-knucklehead role, Punch-Drunk Love is an endearingly realistic rebuff to the overdone fairy-tale rom-com template. People who belong together are often pushed toward each other by happenstance.

But the obstacles to happiness are routinely minimized or ignored in the Hollywood run of the mill. Sandler’s Barry Egan is damaged goods to begin with, after growing up the lone male in a houseful of seven sisters.

(Please don’t ask how I know this can ruin people.) Prone to violence and emotional instability, Barry hates himself and his life and is completely unequipped to comprehend fondness and romantic affection when it is offered by Lena Leonard (Emily Watson). His life skills are for crap, and it is a frustrating joy to watch him struggle with fi rst-time feelings. It’s like watching a chimpanzee teach itself origami or something. Anderson’s view of life in this fi lm is generous and romantic. Using guns, emergency rooms, predatory thugs, and, again, sisters, he reminds you and Barry and Lena of the many terrible things that may happen but spares you the interference and pain that would come from experiencing them just now. This newly released Criterion edition would make for a great date movie—and might help you determine whether or not you and your date have a future together. ◆

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ALIVE AFTER FIVE KNOXVILLE MUSEUM OF @RT

Shelf Life explores new and timely entries from the Knox County Public Library’s collection of movies and music.

December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 15

A&E

Music

Open Ears KSO’s Garrett McQueen champions diversity and challenges stereotypes

BY CAROL Z. SHANE

“I

think that as a musician, it’s really important to keep your ear on everything that’s going on, because it keeps your perspective honest.”

That’s not just Garrett McQueen’s philosophy about music. It’s also his philosophy about life in general. It’s the reason McQueen, the second bassoon in the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and host of WUOT’s afternoon concert, tends bar on weekends at the Stillhouse Tavern in Bearden, even though he doesn’t need the extra income.

“I like to participate in the world we live in in as many ways as I can,” McQueen says. “I’m very gregarious.

Despite the fact that I don’t really need that job, I like it because I think it’s important to diversify your experiences, and having the job there has actually attracted people to classical music that wouldn’t be otherwise. I’ve had some show up to

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

KSO shows, and they all listen to WUOT now. I love it.

“They’re usually quite surprised when they learn that I play with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and have performed as a classical musician across the globe, due to my not looking like a ‘classical musician.’”

As a black man with thick dreadlocks, McQueen’s life in the realm of classical music has been peppered with the occasional unpleasant episode. He’s been mistaken for a thief, a drug dealer, and an armed thug. But McQueen isn’t willing to compromise his style just because some people only see stereotypes. He’s on a mission to educate people.

Originally from Memphis, McQueen’s musical life began in the seventh grade, when his middle-school band director handed him a bassoon.

McQueen liked the fact that it was different, and that he’d never even heard of it. His parents liked the idea

that it might help to snag some college scholarships later in life.

It did. McQueen earned two degrees in bassoon performance—a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis and a master’s from the University of Southern California. It was in Los Angeles that one of his instructors convinced him that it he could have a career in classical music.

From USC, McQueen went on to a prestigious two-year fellowship with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He won KSO’s second bassoon position while he was finishing up in Michigan, and moved to Knoxville in 2013. He’s one of only a handful of African-American players in the orchestra.

“When it comes to diversity in classical music, I really urge people to understand that diversity is more than what you look like, but also your background, your ideas, where you come from,” McQueen says. “If I can urge people to understand anything, it’s that you have to be willing to break away from what you’re used to.

“Over the past few years, I’ve participated in a lot of things that deal with diversity in classical music. In December 2015 I attended a conference on that topic held by the Mellon Foundation, and I’ve been involved with Sphinx for years.”

The Sphinx Organization, based in Detroit, sponsors an annual competition open to all junior high-, high school-, and college-age black and Latino string players residing in the U.S. McQueen believes in shaking things up not only visually, but aurally as well. One of his side projects is arranging the songs of Carly Rae Jepsen, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and

other top 40 artists for bassoon and piano. The result is oddly charming.

To hear those tunes played by such a distinctive orchestral instrument—and one that’s not often a solo instrument—gives the listener a fresh perspective on both ends of the musical spectrum.

“In October of last year, I played a gig in Carnegie Hall that featured the fusion of classical music and rap, which was really good,” he says. “It was a sold-out show. It was so much fun. It’s things like that that I want to continue to be involved in when it comes to my bassoon-playing, because classical music isn’t in the best shape these days, and I think one of the ways to remedy that is to make it relevant.”

McQueen’s latest venture into new territory is his new gig as host of the afternoon concert on WUOT. “I’d never worked in radio, and I thought it was a great opportunity to break into something different,” he says. “Really, my goal with the afternoon concert is to expose people to classical music that they’ve never heard before and to get new listeners in by programming music that is sort of relevant to today’s sound and the way people think about music today.

So a lot of mostly 20th- or 21st-century music, and if not that, it’s going to be late Romantic. Also music by female and black composers, and not only in February.

“Obviously I don’t carry the typical appearance of a classical musician. I love breaking people’s expectations. I think it’s really special that classical music is starting to look different. I just want to be a part of classical music sounding different.” ◆

Classical music isn’t in the best shape these days, and I think one of the ways to remedy that is to make it relevant.

Books

Mormon Erotica?

UT professor Mary Campbell explores the 19th-century effort to recast Mormons’ public image

BY STUART N. BROTMAN

W

ith Mitt Romney, The Book of Mormon on Broadway, and the familiar sight of wholesome young men with name tags knocking politely on front doors, the Latter-day Saints have come to stand as icons of clean-scrubbed conservatism, holdovers from the Leave It to Beaver era in a world marked by confl ict and change. This wasn’t always the case.

As University of Tennessee art-history professor Mary Campbell discusses in her new book, Charles Ellis Johnson and the Erotic Mormon Image (just published by the University of Chicago Press), 19th-century Americans viewed the Church of Latter-day Saints with a mixture of disgust, hatred, and prurient sexual curiosity.

Between 1830 and 1914, the larger nation questioned whether the Mormons were even American at all.

Focusing on the work of the little-known LDS photographer Charles Ellis Johnson, Campbell’s book examines the remarkable aesthetic, legal, and religious strategies the Mormons used to recast themselves as model American citizens.

Charles Ellis Johnson isn’t exactly a big-name artist. How did you discover him and his work?

I knew that I wanted to write about an early Mormon photographer, so I started going through this list I had found of 19th-century artists who had photographed the LDS temple in Salt Lake City. When I got to Johnson, I noticed that Utah State University

held a good chunk of his work, and I called to set up a visit. The curator of photography, a wonderful man named Dan Davis, answered the phone. I remember him saying something like, “You know, Johnson also shot erotica.

Do you want to look at that, too, or just the temple pictures?” To my way of thinking, there’s only one answer to that question.

Did your background as a lawyer contribute to your understanding of Johnson as an artist?

Deeply. One of the overarching arguments I make in the book is that the LDS church used images, including Johnson’s, to knit itself and its members back into the nation after the scandal of polygamy. More than that, I argue that the church turned to images to achieve a type of national reconciliation that more overtly political and legal strategies just couldn’t produce. In that respect, I needed both the art-historical training and the legal background to really dig into the world that surrounded Johnson’s photographs and stereoviews. …

Reading the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in the Mormon polygamy cases, for example, I realized just how deeply the question of visual representation affected the Court’s legal reasoning, just how profoundly aesthetic issues shaped the Court’s construction of the Mormons’ legal rights. In the 1885 decision Cannon v. United States, for

example, the Court held that the country’s anti-polygamy statutes didn’t just criminalize the act of marrying multiple women. Instead, the Court declared that these laws sought “to prevent a man from flaunting in the face of the world the ostentation and opportunities of a bigamous household.” Here you see the Supreme Court defi ning LDS polygamy as a crime of appearance as much as a crime of domestic relations or sex.

According to the Court, if a Mormon defendant looked like a polygamist—if he held himself out to the world as a polygamist—that was enough for a jury to convict him. It didn’t matter what he happened to be doing in the bedroom or around the dining-room table. It was all about how he looked, all about public image.

You spend a fair amount of time discussing the various things that Johnson’s photographs don’t show—or even, in your words, the things that his images refuse to show. Does this suggest that photographs don’t always hand over an accurate view of the world?

You’ve actually just hit on one of the key methodological tenets of art history—and, as odd as this might seem, one of the ways in which art and the law have so much in common.

People tend to assume that images— and especially highly illusionistic, figurative, non-abstract images like so many photographs—are just Xerox copies of the world. Decorative Xerox copies. The longer you look, however, the more you see that images often present their viewers with arguments rather than straight reflections—visual arguments about how the world was, how it should be, what a particular society hoped for, feared, couldn’t cop to. In this respect, images—and I’m consciously distinguishing between an image and its maker here—are like really phenomenal trial lawyers. They try to slide all sorts of arguments past you as straight facts when, in fact, they’re spinning stories.

A&E

Salt Lake City Temple might work to restyle the Mormons as a cultivated American people in the public eye. But erotic stereoviews? Really?

Really! This was one of the most surprising discoveries for me, the realization that Johnson’s suggestive work bears a strong resemblance to turn-of-the-century pictures of vaudeville girls—vaudeville girls who performed in shows that traveled across the country, vaudeville girls who appeared in newspaper articles across the country, vaudeville girls who, in this way, became one of the fi rst national commodities. One of the fi rst products that Americans consumed on a national, rather than a purely regional level. And a product that, for all of its claims to provide family-friendly, middle-class entertainment, generally trucked in the pleasure to be had in watching a pretty young woman high-kicking her way across the stage in, essentially, her underwear.

When Johnson started shooting images that adopted and intensified this sort of vaudevillian sexuality, then—and particularly when he explicitly labeled these images “Utah,” stamping “Utah View” or “Views of Utah a Speciality” on the back—he effectively associated his home state with a type of mainstream American sexuality. ◆

I understand how a portrait of the prophet looking genteel in a tuxedo or an artful photograph of the angel sculpture that sits on the top of the December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 17

A&E

Movies

Purple Strain

The rote Tuareg adaptation of Purple Rain suffers by comparison

BY LEE GARDNER

H

e’s the new kid in town. He’s got music in his soul. His father disapproves, because that ilk never amounts to anything. But there’s this one special girl. And a smirking rival.

And a big showdown where the stakes far outweigh any trophy or prize.

Cliché, cliché, cliché, cliché, cliché, cliché. These tropes could be cut and pasted out of and into any one of hundreds of movies over the past 80 or 90 years. The bulk of them, assembled in the Minneapolis music scene in the early ’80s, form the basic story line of Purple Rain, a fi lm that transcended its narrative limitations with star-power charisma and epochal musical performances. Transpose them to a dusty desert city in contemporary Niger and you’ve got Rain the Color Blue With a Little Red in It, a desert-nomad homage to Prince’s cinematic breakout that fails to rise above an amiable curiosity.

There’s no attempt to disguise the story’s roots, despite its unique setting.

Mdou (Mdou Moctar, playing a version of himself), sporting purple robes, tools around town astride a motorcycle swaddled in purple tape. He’s already made a name for himself as a guitarist and performer through sound files

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

passed around virally via cellphone (the Saharan equivalent of iTunes), but he makes a local splash by sitting in with a band and flooring all present with his fluid six-string lines and impassioned singing. He soon stumbles across his Apollonia stand-in, the comely Rhaicha (Rhaicha Ibrahim), and encounters his Morris Day-esque rival, Kader (Kader Tanoutanoute), an established guitarist and bandleader with a thing for flowing white shirts and a lock on scene props. Mdou sets out to prevail, through challenges and humblings, despite the fact that he has to hide his guitar from his dad (Abdoulaye Souleymane).

The setting lends Rain the Color Blue an undeniable vibrance. In Tamashek, the language of Tuareg nomads like Mdou, there’s no word for the color purple, which explains the fi lm’s convoluted title. City-dwelling Tuareg may have left behind camels for motorcycles, but they still retain much of their culture, represented here by passionate ballads, desert picnics, and glasses of tea heated over coals at every occasion. Yet the characters, and their motives and worries, are undeniably familiar.

In a serendipitous touch, Mdou is

left-handed, which doubles as a symbol of his otherness as a newcomer. It also allows the scheming Kader to humiliate him during an impromptu al fresco guitar pull: The hot new picker in town can barely plunk away at an instrument strung for a righty.

He gigs with a restrung right-handed instrument, but a rare left-handed electric hanging in a shop serves as a symbol of his aspiration, and as a handy (and easily spotted) plot device.

It’s hard not to root for the fi lm, and for its hero, especially since they’re both so clearly sincere. But Rain the Color Blue remains an unoriginal low-budget drama helmed by a relatively green director (Christopher Kirkley, who runs the Sahel Sounds record label) leading an inexperienced cast. Moctar, Ibrahim, and Tanoutanoute all flash moments of charisma, but accomplished actors they are not. The story—credited to Kirkley, cinematographer Jerome Fino, and Moctar himself—features a few deft plot points, but it never eludes roteness. Searching for a word to describe the visual style here arrives at “functional.” Mdou’s half-dozen or so sinuous musical performances highlight the fi lm in every way, but if you’re looking for a Maghreb “Let’s Go Crazy,” you won’t fi nd it. The idea of Rain the Color Blue is more compelling than the reality. ◆

WHAT:

Public Cinema: Rain the Color Blue With a Little Red in It

WHEN:

Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m.

WHERE:

Scruffy City Hall (32 Market Square)

INFO:

publiccinema.org

Holiday Gift Guide UNIQUE, LOCAL GIFTS FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST 1

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CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE

Live Theater Live theater at the Clarence Brown Theatre is an entertaining and enriching experience that’s easy and affordable to give! This season, you can give an unforgettable gift for as little as $75 with a stylish three-show subscription that includes John Patrick Shanley’s Irish love story Outside Mullingar, Susanna Centlivre’s restoration comedy The Busy Body, and the family-friendly Around the World in 80 Days. Your gift certificate comes with a choice of performance night, FREE parking in McClung Tower Garage, plus FREE and unlimited ticket exchanges—and, of course, the beautiful costumes, sets, lights, and great acting, too!

CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE, 1714 Andy Holt Avenue, 865-974-5161, clarencebrowntheatre.com

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BLISS

Charm Her with Alex and Ani Bangles from Bliss!

Adorned with precious metals and stones, our collection of Alex and Ani wrap bangles are a beautiful gift that expands to fit any wrist size. Available in silver or gold. Prices start at $28.95

BLISS, 24 Market Square, 865-329-8868, shopinbliss.com December 8, 2016

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NOTHING TOO FANCY

Tennessee Pride Holiday shopping is exhausting and stressful. Never fear—Nothing Too Fancy is here! This locally owned and operated store has something for everyone. Working with local artists to bring you the best in super-soft T-shirts, sweatshirts, blankets and more. They can fill the need for moms, dads, sisters, brothers, girlfriends, boyfriends, bearded or clean-shaven, wrestling fan or not, with their unique assortment of gifts that include apparel, jewelry, mugs, pint glasses, socks, artwork, memorabilia, koozies, hats, magnets, gift cards, accessories and stocking stuffers galore. Come see what you did not know about this growing local enterprise located downtown around the corner from Market Square. Let them help you spread some holiday cheer this year!

NOTHING TOO FANCY, 435 Union Avenue, 865-951-2916, nothingtoofancy.com 20

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

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ORANGE THEORY FITNESS

Give the Gift of Health Orangetheory Fitness is the fastest-growing fitness franchise in the country. They offer one-hour group personal training classes with guaranteed results. The New York Times calls their total body workout “the best one-hour workout in the country.”

Because the workouts are heart-rate based, it is a perfect workout for all fitness levels, beginner to elite. Their total-body workouts produce guaranteed physical results, and are a great benefit to mental and emotional wellness. Holiday gift packages available now. Call or stop by for details. Mention the Knox Mercury ad for two bonus sessions and 50 percent off a HR monitor.

ORANGETHEORY FITNESS, Farragut: 11674 Parkside Drive, 865-223-6699. Bearden: 122 N. Forest Park Blvd., 865-224-6480, orangetheoryfitness.com

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THE STATION

Home to Over 20 Local Artisan Makers The Shoppes at Fountain City Station is the perfect way to support small business and “shop local” this Christmas. There, you’ll find art, pottery, accessories, home decor, candles, refinished furniture, antiques, and more!

THE SHOPPES AT FOUNTAIN CITY STATION, 5311 N. Broadway (on the corner of Broadway and Hotel, across from Fountain City Park), Facebook: facebook.com/fountaincityloft, Instagram: theshoppesatftncitystation 6

TORI MASON

Step Up Your Holiday Shopping List with Tori Mason Shoes!

Find rustic yet feminine tall boots from Freebird, intricately detailed flats by Fortress of Inca and supple leather booties in an array of styles.

TORI MASON SHOES, 29 Market Square, 865-673-6711, torimasonshoes.com

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MANGO’S

Upscale Home Décor Mango’s stocks a remarkable number of unique gifts starting around $10—including jewelry, ornaments, stockings, candles, and more! In addition, they carry unusual solid mango-wood furniture from India, Christmas and seasonal decor, lamps, hanging lights, dining ware, signage, mirrors, special-order upholstery, and other interesting finds. Jennifer and her staff strive to bring in visually and expertly crafted items that are competitively priced and that change regularly with new arrivals almost daily! Come see how they can help bring you some holiday happiness.

MANGO’S DECOR & CO., 309 S. Northshore Dr., 865-247-4569, Facebook: mangosdecorandco

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BABALU TACOS & TAPAS

Tacos and Tapas!

The best gift you can give someone is your time. And tacos. DEFINITELY tacos! Now through the end of December for gift card purchases of $50 or more, receive 10 percent on an additional gift card! Also, Babalu Knoxville will be donating a percentage of all gift card sales between December 12-24! Come find out how to Babalu!

BABALU TACOS & TAPAS, 412 S. Gay St., 865-3291002, eatbabalu.com 9

RETROSPECT

Vintage Barware Don Draper will have nothing on you, vintage barware can be a great gift for someone or an accessory for your holiday entertaining. Retrospect has a plethora of options to choose from including shakers and highballs to whole sets like this one for only $30. Stop by and see all of our unique vintage items.

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10 MEADOWSWEET

11 PRETENTIOUS

Downtown Massage + Wellness

Mouth-Blown Beer Glasses & Ornaments

As the Top Knox 2016 Winner for Top Massage Therapy and a Popular Pick for Top Wellness Center, Meadowsweet’s approach is holistic, thoughtful, and personalized to your needs.

Located in the heart of downtown, give the gift of well being and relaxation this holiday. Gift certificates available online and in-store!

A quality craft beer is too good to let family, friends and neighbors drink out of boring glasses. Help them out and give them a useful gift made right here in town by Pretentious Beer Glass Company. Owner/Artist Matthew Cummings creates handmade and mouth-blown beer glasses perfect for a broad range of craft beers-and they’re works of art, too! He also creates bourbon glasses, carafes, art glass, vases, and seasonal items like ornaments and candy canes. Offering “blow your own” ornament options. Holiday sales are 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays in December.

MASSAGE

MEADOWSWEET MASSAGE & WELLNESS CENTER, 117 S. Gay St., 865-221-0334, meadowsweetwellness.com

BEER GLASS COMPANY

PRETENTIOUS BEER GLASS COMPANY, 133 South Central St., 606-688-0345, pretentiousglass.com

12 ME

& CO.

Your Gift, Their Name Me & Co. is a happy place with unique and personalized gifts for every person and pet on your list. From whimsical décor to hand-painted ornaments and stocking-stuffers, Me & Co. has one-of-a-kind gifts you’ll love giving.

ME & CO. 7240 Kingston Pike, 865-705-4620, meandcostudios.com 13 WESTWOOD

ANTIQUES

Distinctive Decor When you are looking for that special gift for that special someone, Westwood Antique & Design Market is the best place to shop. And Westwood has a great selection of decorative pieces that will help you make your home a festive joy for you and your family and friends.

WESTWOOD ANTIQUE & DESIGN MARKET, 4861 Kingston Pike, 865-588-3088

RETROSPECT, 1121 North Central St., 865-522-3511, Facebook:retrospectvintagestore December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 21

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14 TENNESSEE

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THEATRE

Give the Gift of the Tennessee Theatre this Holiday Season!

We have tri-blend and cotton T-shirts designed by Status Serigraph, 16-ounce pint glasses featuring the iconic vertical sign (which make great gift card holders), art prints by Donna Talerico and Joel Anderson, notecards by local artist Michael Underwood, CDs featuring the Mighty Wurlitzer, gift cards, and more! And we can’t forget our book! The Tennessee Theatre: A Grand Entertainment Palace written by Jack Neely and designed by Robin Easter Design tells the history of the Tennessee Theatre through fascinating narrative and hundreds of images: photographs, advertisements, posters & tickets, and more. This hard-bound, full-color, 228-page book tells the unique story of how the Tennessee was planned, designed and built; how it influenced and shaped entertainment options in Knoxville throughout the 20th century; and how its comprehensive restoration and renovation served as a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Knoxville in the 21st century. It’s a true piece of art!

TENNESSEE THEATRE, Visit the gift shop in the Clinch Avenue ticket office (located on the side of the theatre) or online at tennesseetheatre.com/giftshop 22

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PRESS

A Remarkable Legacy 15 HARVEST

TOWNE WINE AND SPIRITS

Potent Potables Family owned for more than 50 years, Harvest Towne Wine and Spirits in Fountain City is the premier location for your holiday Wine, Beer and Spirits in North Knoxville. Gift boxes make a perfect gift for any aficionado on your shopping list. Harvest Towne offers imaginative gifts from established brands like Jack Daniel’s, Crown Royal, Jim Beam, Famous Grouse, Glenmorangie, Bailey’s, Ole Smoky, Sugarlands moonshine, and more.

Wine offerings abound during the season at Harvest Towne with all the popular brands at better prices than the big box stores. Harvest Towne Wine and Spirits also stocks seasonal beverages like Beaujolais Nouveau, several egg nogs, and one of the largest selections of craft beers in town. Like them on Facebook.

HARVEST TOWNE WINE & SPIRITS, 4860 N. Broadway, 865-688-4672, harvesttownewinespirits-hub.com

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FRENCH MARKET

Crepes For Christmas!

A French Market gift card is more than a mouth-watering gift from Knoxville’s only authentic French crepe restaurant! You could use it to enjoy their Lavazza Italian coffee and a sweet or savory crepe. It also includes a unique line of French products including jams, mustards and vinegars as well as soaps, Cavallini posters, greeting cards, and more! Visit both locations.

THE FRENCH MARKET, 526 S. Gay St., 865-540-4372 & 161 Brooklawn St. (Farragut), 865-288-7912, thefrenchmarketknoxville.com

The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt by Maria Cornelius with a Foreword by Candace Parker.

The book chronicles Pat Summitt’s last year as the iconic coach of the Lady Vols. It is a personal and deeply moving account by sport’s writer Maria Cornelius through the eyes of those who knew her best.

THE FINAL SEASON: THE PERSEVERANCE OF PAT SUMMITT, To Order: utpress.org or 1-800-621-2736 18 FOLLY

BOUTIQUE

An Eclectic Mix of Apparel and Accessories

Your BFF is soooo boho, your sister is a jewelry freak, and your mom loves classic designs. Where can you find Christmas presents for them all? Folly in Fountain City. It’s a little shop with a lot of style.

FOLLY BOUTIQUE, 104 Hotel Rd. (across from Fountain City Park), 865-742-0906, Facebook: facebook.com/shopfolly, Instagram: Folly Boutique

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THE OPEN CHORD

Unequaled Ukuleles

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LUTTRELL’S EYEWEAR

Local, Convenient, Experienced!

Luttrell’s Eyewear offers unique and trendy eyewear. We carry Tiffany, Kate Spade, Matsuda, Persol, Ray Ban, Silhouette, and Polo etc. We offer eyeglass repairs, so don’t throw away your frames just because someone else cannot fi x them. We can also replace your lenses and offer eye exams or you can bring your Rx to us. We have the latest digital technology in prescription lenses. If you don’t see as well as you’d like or have any problems with your existing Rx glasses, come see us.

LUTTRELL’S EYEWEAR, 5030 Kingston Pike, 865-588-4052 & 11730 Kingston Pike, 865-6712145, luttrellseyewear.com

Cordoba’s ukulele pack, the UP100, includes everything you need to begin playing the ukulele. Mahogany top, back and sides. Matte finish. This all-in-one uke pack includes a rugged travel gig bag, simple-to-use digital clip-on tuner to keep your instrument in tune, two picks, and an instructional booklet for easy learning. Completely handmade. Sale Price: $99.99

THE OPEN CHORD MUSIC STORE, 8502 Kingston Pike, 865-281-5874, openchordmusic.com 21

@HOME AUDIO VIDEO

Incredible Wireless Performance Sonos is the smart speaker system that streams all your favorite music to any room, or every room. Control your life’s soundtrack with one simple app. On sale for the first time ever for the Holidays at @home Audio Video. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

@HOME AUDIO VIDEO, 5084 Kingston Pike, 865-584-1800, athomeaudiovideo.com

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RUNNER’S MARKET

Don’t Run Naked Do socks matter? Are my shoes worn out? What can I do about heel pain?

Year-round, whether you are shopping for your runner or have questions about your fitness needs. Runner’s Market is the place to get help. They know a thing or two about shoes and shoe fitting and can steer you toward the right equipment for your lifestyle.

Shoes, socks, apparel, accessories and more!

RUNNER’S MARKET, Western Plaza in Bearden, 865-588-1650, runnersmarket.com 23

UNCLE LEM’S

Cold-Weather Wear Uncle Lem’s Mountain Outfitters has you covered on all your Patagonia needs from the Synchilla Snap-T to the Better Sweater. Looking for a Fjord Flannel?

We’ve got it, and so much more! Come see us this holiday season!

BROADWAY FAMILY KARATE 24

Karate Lessons Want to kick your holiday gift-giving up a notch? Try something that’s a knockout combination of fitness, fun and focus. Top Knox Winner Broadway Family Karate offers a special Three Lesson Introductory Gift Certificate for individuals ($19) or whole families ($35) that can make year’s super Santa. Your lucky gift-getters just make an appointment for their intro lessons, with no further cost or obligation.

Broadway Family Karate is a fun and family-friendly place for students of all ages and fitness levels to get the body and mind in shape with martial arts.

BROADWAY FAMILY KARATE, 2902 Tazewell Pike, Suite J, 865-688-0120, BroadwayFamilyKarate.com

Uncle Lem’s Mountain Outfitters, 9715 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, 865-357-8566. unclelems.com

December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 23

CALENDAR MUSIC

Thursday, Dec. 8 JACK LAWLESS AND REBECCA MAE WITH THE HWY • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE RED SHOES AND ROSIN • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 6PM • FREE KIEL GROVE • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • FREE KJO SWINGIN’ CHRISTMAS WITH NIKI HARIS • Tennessee Theatre • 8PM • Holiday favorites in the styles of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more. Show-stopping vocalist Niki Haris joins the band this year to help make your season bright. Tickets are available now online at knoxjazz.org or by calling 656-4444. • $39.50 BONNIE BISHOP WITH MOJO:FLOW AND HAYLEY REARDON • The Open Chord • 8PM • Grammy-winning Bonnie Bishop delivered her sixth album, ‘Ain’t Who I Was,’ on May 27.

Produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell), the album features 10 new recordings, including six songs co-written by Bishop. All ages. • $8-$10 POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE • Scruffy City Hall • 9PM BILLY STRINGS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM THE GHOST OF PAUL REVERE • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

THE WILD PONIES • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (Maryville) • 8PM Friday, Dec. 9 OSCAR HARRIS • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE THE WORD ALIVE WITH VOLUMES, ISLANDER, AND INVENT, ANIMATE • The Concourse • 7PM • On their fourth full-length album, Dark Matter, the Word Alive amplify every aspect of their signature sound. The lyrics are more personal. The melodies are more engaging. The songs are bigger. It’s the apex of the Phoenix heavy alternative quintet’s sound to date. All ages. Visit internationalknox. com. • $16-$18 THE BIRD AND THE BEAR • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • FREE LUCY ROSE GEORGE • Vienna Coffee House (Maryville) • 7PM • FREE HOME FREE: A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS • Tennessee Theatre • 7:30PM • Home Free is bringing new music, new production, more country and holiday favorites as they come to town in A Country Christmas Tour. The five-man band has become known for their show-stopping performances that mix their signature no-instrument, all-vocal music with their quick-witted humor. • $27.50-$150 DELBERT MCCLINTON • Bijou Theatre • 8PM • I’m an acquired taste in that my kind of music’s not for little kids,’ Texas singer- songwriter Delbert McClinton says. ‘It’s adult rock ‘n’ roll. I write from the sensibility of the people I knew growing up, and I grew up with all the heathens, the people who went too far before they changed and tried to make something out of their lives.” • $37 FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 8PM • Jason Thompson’s band doesn’t play bebop, the mainstay of the American saxman for more than half a century. He prefers to do something different. Frog and 24

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

Thursday, Dec. 8 - Sunday, Dec. 18

Toad can sound more old-fashioned than bebop, with Dixieland and ragtime tunes. But then, in the same set, they’ll sound more modern than bebop, with funk or fusion, or something original he wrote last week. • FREE THE TEMPER EVANS BAND • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM THREE STAR REVIVAL • Scruffy City Hall • 9PM • Jazzy, jammy, funky Americana.

ROOTS OF A REBELLION WITH TROPIDELIC AND JOSIAH ATCHLEY AND THE GREATER GOOD • Preservation Pub • 9PM • 21 and up.

CAUTION • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM BRENDAN JAMES WRIGHT AND THE WRONGS • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE FALLOIR WITH SLEEPING POLICEMAN • Pilot Light • 10PM • Falloir sails through proggy waters with tricky time signatures and dynamic shifts, knotty, cascading dual-guitar riffs, and dense, pummeling percussion. 18 and up. • $5 ARTHUR Q. SMITH: THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRUTH • Emporium Center for Art and Culture • 6PM • Jesse McReynolds, of the legendary bluegrass duo Jim and Jesse, is joined by the Barstool Romeos, Larry Odom, Jack Cate, Nancy Brennan Strange, and Steve Horton for a night of music (and film) celebrating the release of Bear Family’s new set of classic country songs from the 1940s and ’50s written by Knoxville’s Arthur Q. Smith. Bradley Reeves and Wayne Bledsoe, co-authors of the booklet accompanying the set, will sign copies.

WENDEL WERNER • Red Piano Lounge • 6PM ALIVE AFTER FIVE: SOUL CONNECTION • Knoxville Museum of Art • 6PM • The fall series of Alive After Five concludes with the annual Holiday Dance Party! featuring the Memphis soul and Motown R&B of the nine-member Soul Connection band. • $10-$15 THE PEA PICKIN’ HEARTS • Last Days of Autumn Brewery • 8PM LORD NELSON • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (Maryville) • 9PM PORCH 40 • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) • 9PM GREG TARDY • Red Piano Lounge • 9PM Saturday, Dec. 10 BROOKS DIXON WITH JASON RINGENBERG • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE ROGER ALAN WADE • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • Roger Alan Wade has penned songs for country legends such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Jones and the number one hit “Country State of Mind” for Hank Williams Jr. • FREE WHITECHAPEL WITH LORNA SHORE, REALM, THE GUILD, HATESTOMP, AND ANNIVERSARY • The Concourse • 7PM • Returning with the fifth full-length of their decimating career, there is no stopping the juggernaut that is Whitechapel. Our Endless War is the culmination of everything the Knoxville, Tennessee sextet have worked toward since their inception. A ruthlessly honed album that refuses to compromise on brutality, it is also by far their most streamlined, atmospheric, and emotionally powerful release, pushing every aspect of their sound to the next level. 18 and up. • $12-$17 CHRIS YOUNG WITH DUSTIN LYNCH AND CASSADEE POPE • Thompson-Boling Arena • 7:30PM • Chris Young has accomplished more by 29 than some artists do in a lifetime. Already a Grammy-nominated recording artist, he’s also a dynamic live performer consistently in demand, an international ambassador for his genre, a

RIVER & RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY 119 W. Fifth Ave. • Dec. 8-16 • $25 • riverandrailtheatre.com

After 18 months of fundraising and planning, River & Rail Theater Company debuts its first full-length production Thursday with an original family-friendly holiday folk musical, The Unusual Tale of Mary and Joseph’s Baby. A shorter version of the show was produced for the New York City International Fringe Festival this summer, but the Knoxville version has eight new songs and a rewritten climax that qualifies it as a world premiere, according to codirector Joshua Peterson.

The story, about a pregnant virgin and her confused fiance—straight from the Bible—is presented as a comedy, offering a new perspective on an old story for believers and nonbelievers alike, Peterson says.

“What would it be like to be these people?” he says. “The show has elevated the humanity of this story in a way you rarely see.”

The Unusual Tale was written by Don Chaffer, who, along with his wife, Lori, makes up the Nashville band Waterdeep. The instrumentation is a minimalist sort of swinging folk provided by a guitar, piano, and percussion. The cast of four includes Ellen Nikbakht, a University of Tennessee student, as Mary, and Robert George, a professional actor from Dallas, as Joseph.

Like the Fringe Festival production, the Knoxville one will be directed by Peterson’s wife, Amelia, a Bearden High graduate who directs new play development for River & Rail. Both productions were funded by a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $38,000.

The characters’ struggles will be familiar to new parents—a shepherd sings a birthing check list to Joseph to help him get through the delivery, and there’s a lullaby inspired by poopy diapers. But Peterson notes that current events caused the show, about a family of refugees and a dehumanizing, oppressive government, to resonate in a more serious way with New York audiences.

Peterson says he hopes The Unusual Tale of Mary and Joseph’s Baby will be River & Rail’s A Christmas Carol—an annual holiday production.

River & Rail will donate a ticket for every ticket it sells for its productions, he says. It is giving half the tickets to local nonprofits like KARM and the Emerald Youth Foundation, among others. To inquire, email tickets@riverandrailtheatre.com. (S. Heather Duncan)

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Spotlight: Bill Mize

Thursday, Dec. 8 - Sunday, Dec. 18

CALENDAR

talented songwriter with six Number Ones to his name. • $39.50-$199 DRAPER, REYNOLDS, AND RODGERS • The Open Chord • 7:30PM • Vanessa Draper, singer songwriter Karen E. Reynolds and Kit Rodgers—three very different musical friends, touring, recording and gigging for years. It never should have worked, but somehow, it worked really well.

The trio played about every stage possible in and around Knoxville and toured like crazy in the Southeast. Three part harmonies, original music, laughter and just enough silliness onstage to allow the audience in on the inside jokes and to feel as if they were part of the group. And, in reality, they were. And still are. • $12-$15 DAVE BARNES • Bijou Theatre • 8PM • Although born in South Carolina, singer/songwriter Dave Barnes spent most of his childhood in Mississippi, where he formed an early attachment to hip-hop but was also exposed to classic soul, blues, and RandB by his parents. • $29-$75 DOR L’DOR • Laurel Theater • 8PM • Dor L’Dor is a multi-generational klezmer band based in Knoxville, Tennessee, that international city famous for its yiddishkeit. Visit jubileearts.org. • $13 BILL MIZE • Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Gatlinburg) • 8PM • Raised in East Tennessee and internationally recognized, Bill Mize is a Winfield National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion. His music appears on the Grammy-winning CD “Stellaluna” and Emmy-winning productions such as PBS “National Parks” series by Ken Burns. • $15 • See Spotlight on page 26 THE JAILHOUSE REVIEW • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM KITTY WAMPUS • Paul’s Oasis • 9:30PM DEMON WAFFLE • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM THE BEARDED • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE EBONY EYES WITH YUNG LIFE • Pilot Light • 10PM • For most of its eight-year existence, the aptly named Yung Life has been a hobby. Now that three of them have graduated from the University of Tennessee, they’re ready to make a more serious commitment to the band. The first step is the release of their ambitious and long-gestating third album, Soft/Divide, which serves as the next step in the band’s creative evolution. 18 and up. • $5 THE BURNIN’ HERMANS • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

LAUREN ARP • Red Piano Lounge • 6PM LOOSE LEAVES • Vienna Coffee House (Maryville) • 7PM • FREE THE RICKY MITCHELL BAND • Last Days of Autumn Brewery • 7PM KUKULY AND THE GYPSY FUEGO • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (Maryville) • 9PM • Kukuly Uriarte hails from Peru, by way of Argentina. She leads the multifaceted jazz ensemble Kukuly and the Gypsy Fuego. Numerous titles from the Fuego’s long and varied set list are associated with—or performed in the style of—the late Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, who, in Paris between the world wars, invented what’s still referred to as hot jazz.

TITANIUM BLUE • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) • 9PM BRIAN CLAY • Red Piano Lounge • 9PM

well as fun and fresh takes on favorites like Sleigh Ride, Blue Christmas, and Jingle Bells, plus many more. Visit knoxgmc.org. • $25 THE BROCKEFELLERS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM LORD NELSON • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

LAUREN ARP AND REMIX • Red Piano Lounge • 8PM PEAK PHYSIQUE WITH HUDSON K AND DJ HATRED • Pilot Light • 9PM • 18 and up. • $5

Sunday, Dec. 11 SHIFFLETT’S JAZZ BENEDICT • The Bistro at the Bijou • 12PM • Live jazz. • FREE SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH • Downtown Grill and Brewery • 12:45PM • Knoxville’s coolest jazz artists perform every Sunday. • FREE KNOXVILLE GAY MEN’S CHORUS: ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 3PM • The concert features traditional carols such as The First Noel, I Saw Three Ships, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, as

Thursday, Dec. 15 SENORITAWESOME AND GEORGIO FEREIRA WITH THE LOST FIDDLE STRINGBAND • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE SCOTT MCMAHAN • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 6PM • FREE THE TENNESSEE SHEIKS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (Maryville) • 8PM

Monday, Dec. 12 THE 2016 KERRVILLE NEW FOLK WINNERS • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE THE DIRK QUINN BAND • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM CYCLES • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

Tuesday, Dec. 13 MATT NELSON, GARRIT TILLMAN, AND JAKE EDWARD SMITH • Pilot Light • 6PM • A free live improv showcase. 18 and up. • FREE GRETTA ZILLER WITH HYMN FOR HER • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE THE MARBLE CITY FIVE • Red Piano Lounge • 8PM • Groove to Vance Thompson’s small combo, an offshoot of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra.

HYMN FOR HER • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD • Pilot Light • 10PM • The best rock ’n’ roll, the kind that gets under your skin and makes all your senses heighten, is simple and comprised of hard work and unrelenting passion—all of which Jeff the Brotherhood embody and exemplify on their Warner Bros.

Records debut LP, Hypnotic Nights. Brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall have been playing together since they were little kids and formed the group when they were in high school. The boys grew up with a voracious appetite for any music they could get their hands on. 18 and up. • $12 Wednesday, Dec. 14 WENDEL WERNER WITH SLIM PICKINS BLUEGRASS • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-aweek lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 6:30PM • FREE TENNESSEE SHINES: ROBINELLA • WDVX • 7PM • Jazz, country, blues… What can’t Robinella do? East Tennessee’s own singer-songwriter returns to our stage with her band for the aforementioned favorites, plus some holiday tunes. Part of Tennessee Shines, WDVX’s series of weekly live-broadcast concerts. • $10 GROOVE THERAPY • Red Piano Lounge • 8PM • It’s Soulful Wednesday at the Red Piano Lounge.

COLE SWINDELL • Cotton Eyed Joe • 9PM • In 2015, Swindell was a four-time BMI Award winner for No. 1 hits he wrote for Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line as well as his own No. 1 “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight.” He was also nominated for CMA Awards’ “New Artist of the Year” and named Music Row’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, with celebrated songwriting credits which include “This Is How We Roll” by Florida Georgia Line, “Get Me Some of That” by Thomas Rhett, and several songs with Luke Bryan including his No. 1 single “Roller Coaster,” among others. 18 and up. • $27 ROCK THE BELLS HOLIDAY HIP HOPALOOZA • Pilot Light • 9PM • Celebrating Knoxville’s underground Hip Hop scene, with a strong lineup of very talented emcees to bring in the new year. Some well known veterans, some unheard voices. 18 and up. • $5 CIRCUS NO. 9 • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM VILLA*NOVA • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

Friday, Dec. 16 JAKE JONES WITH MIKE MCGILL • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE THE FIRESIDE COLLECTIVE • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • FREE SUZY BOGGUSS’ SWINGIN’ LITTLE CHRISTMAS SHOW • The Standard • 7:30PM • Suzy Bogguss’ Swingin’ Little Christmas is a joyous, festive evening of traditional songs and spontaneity with one of country music’s most pristine and evocative vocalists. Visit wdvx.com. • $25 LEVI KREIS: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 7:30PM • Levi began here in Oak Ridge as a classical pianist studying under Anna Miller before receiving a full scholarship to Vanderbilt University for classical piano technique. A move to Los Angeles established his career as an film and stage actor as well as a singer/songwriter featured on many major network programs. In theater circles, Kreis is known for originating the role of Jerry Lee Lewis in Broadway’s Tony nominated musical Million Dollar Quartet. Visit orplayhouse.com. • $24 MAGNOLIA MOTEL WITH JOSIAH AND THE GREATER GOOD • The Concourse • 8PM • Magnolia Motel is an alternative-rock band from the Marble City of Knoxville. Their unique sound combines an array of diverse music genres. From funky bass lines and rocking drum beats to bluesy vocals and psychedelic guitar licks, Magnolia Motel’s sound will be sure captivate your attention along with their energetic stage presence. 18 and up. Visit internationalknox.com. • $5-$8 KACEY MUSGRAVES: A VERY KACEY CHRISTMAS TOUR • Tennessee Theatre • 8PM • Two-time Grammy award-winner Kacey Musgraves will be ringing in this holiday season by launching her very first Christmas Headlining Tour. • $35-$49 FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 8PM • FREE THE TERRAPLANE DRIFTERS • Last Days of Autumn Brewery • 8PM K-TOWN MUSIC • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM FAT PENGUIN • Bar Marley • 9PM KITTY WAMPUS • Spicy’s • 9PM PMA • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) • 9PM SWINGBOOTY • Red Piano Lounge • 9PM • Swinging hot gypsy jazz.

FUNK YOU • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM THE BIG PINK • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE EARPHORIK • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 25

CALENDAR Saturday, Dec. 17 JOSIAH WHITLEY WITH JAKE JONES • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE HOLY SMOKES AND THE GODFORSAKEN ROLLERS • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • FREE FEW MILES ON WITH MYSTIC RHYTHM TRIBE • The Open Chord • 8PM • A big night of local blues infused music featuring Few Miles On, with one of East Tennessee’s newest bands, Mystic Rhythm Tribe. • $6 ROMAN REESE AND THE CARDINAL SINS WITH URBAN SOIL • Preservation Pub • 8:30PM • 21 and up.

REBEL MOUNTAIN • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM SMOOTH SAILOR • Scruffy City Hall • 9PM THE OLD FIVE AND DIMERS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (Maryville) • 9PM SHORT TERM MEMORY • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) •

Thursday, Dec. 8 - Sunday, Dec. 18

9PM DONALD BROWN • Red Piano Lounge • 9PM • The king of Knoxville’s jazz scene.

UNSPOKEN TRADITION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE TRAVERS BROTHERSHIP • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM SUMMER PALACE WITH SHANKS AKIMBO • Pilot Light • 10PM • 18 and up. • $5

SECRET GUEST WITH ZACK MEXICO • Pilot Light • 9PM • 18 and up. • $5 DEAD BALLOONS • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

Sunday, Dec. 18 SHIFFLETT’S JAZZ BENEDICT • The Bistro at the Bijou • 12PM • Live jazz. • FREE SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH • Downtown Grill and Brewery • 12:45PM • Knoxville’s coolest jazz artists perform every Sunday. • FREE MIKE MCGILL’S HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM LAUREN ARP AND REMIX • Red Piano Lounge • 8PM

Thursday, Dec. 8 SCOTTISH MUSIC SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM • A proud tradition, Scots love nothing more than music and drink. The drink is strong and the music is steeped in the history of the green highlands and rocky cliffs.

Whether lyrics or no lyrics, every song tells a story. The hills of East Tennessee are a home away from home for this style. Pull up a chair to listen or play along. Held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. • FREE JON MASON BLUES SESSIONS • Red Piano Lounge • 8PM

OPEN MIC AND SONGWRITER NIGHTS

Sunday, Dec. 11 SING OUT KNOXVILLE • Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church • 7PM • A folk singing circle open to everyone. • FREE

Photo by Jubilee Community Arts

BILL MIZE

Wednesday, Dec. 14 TIME WARP TEA ROOM OLD-TIME JAM • Time Warp Tea Room • 7PM • Regular speed old-time/fiddle jam every Wednesday. All instruments and skill levels welcome.

BRACKINS BLUES JAM • Brackins Blues Club ( Maryville) • 9PM • A weekly open session hosted by Tommie John. • FREE

Saturday, Dec. 10 • 8 p.m. • Free • arrowmont.org

Thursday, Dec. 15 IRISH MUSIC SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM • Held on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE JON MASON BLUES SESSIONS • Red Piano Lounge • 8PM

Every year, guitarist Bill Mize comes back to East Tennessee, where he was born and raised, for a holiday concert at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Each show is different—he might have a new record to promote or a new musical partner—but this year’s will be more different than usual.

Saturday, Dec. 17 OLD-TIME SLOW JAM • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 4PM • A monthly old-time music session, held on the third Sunday of each month. Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (556 Parkway, Gatlinburg) •

A handful of buildings on the Arrowmont campus, at the south end of Gatlinburg, sustained significant damage in last week’s massive fire. Several events were canceled, including the school’s annual United Way fundraising dinner. But administrators decided that it was important that Mize’s concert go on as scheduled.

“This concert is a holiday tradition at Arrowmont and in our community,” Bill May, Arrowmont’s executive director, says in a press release. “Although we are all still reeling from the magnitude of the losses the community has experienced, we want to continue the tradition and create an opportunity for everyone to come together, support each other, and celebrate the season. This concert and reception is a gift from Arrowmont and the musicians to our wonderful community— open to everyone and free. We hope that you will join us for the reception and the concert.”

Mize, known for his impeccable style on acoustic guitar, is a former national fingerstyle champion and won a Grammy with storyteller David Holt for the 2000 album Stellaluna. He’ll perform this weekend with Beth Brammhall on accordion and Ruth Barber and Keith Watson, otherwise known by their duo name, Boogertown Gap. (Matthew Everett)

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Tuesday, Dec. 13 PRESERVATION PUB SINGER-SONGWRITER NIGHT • Preservation Pub • 7PM • 21 and up. Visit scruffycity.com.

OLD-TIME JAM SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM • The musicians sit together and pick and strum familiar tunes on fiddles, guitars, and bass. Open to all lovers and players of music. No need to build up the courage to join in. Just grab an instrument off the wall and take a seat.

Hosted by Sarah Pirkle. Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

Sunday, Dec. 18 FAMILY FRIENDLY DRUM CIRCLE • Ijams Nature Center • 3:30PM • Drumming for kids of all ages on the third Sunday of the month. Bring a drum or share one of ours.

Bring a blanket or chair. Open to drummers of all ages and levels. Free and fun. • FREE OLD-TIME SLOW JAM • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 4PM • A monthly old-time music session, held on the third Sunday of each month. Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE RED PIANO JAZZ JAM • Red Piano Lounge • 5PM

DJ AND DANCE NIGHTS

Friday, Dec. 9 RETRO WEEKEND DANCE PARTY • Hanna’s Old City • 9PM • Hanna’s Retro Weekend dance party with DJ Ray Funk is

where you will hear all of your favorite 80’s and 90’s dance hits. So get down to Hanna’s in the Old City this weekend to party like it is 1999.

SOUTHBOUND FRIDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B. Saturday, Dec. 10 SOUTHBOUND SATURDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B. Tuesday, Dec. 13 MAD HATTER CHRISTMAS PARTY • Bar Marley • 8PM • Live psychedelic jazz and jam rock by Golgie Apparatus, plus games, food, toasts, and a Secret Santa gift exchange.

Free admission if you come dressed in a costume inspired by Alice in Wonderland. • $10 Friday, Dec. 16 RETRO WEEKEND DANCE PARTY • Hanna’s Old City • 9PM • Hanna’s Retro Weekend dance party with DJ Ray Funk is where you will hear all of your favorite 80’s and 90’s dance hits. So get down to Hanna’s in the Old City this weekend to party like it is 1999.

SOUTHBOUND FRIDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B. Saturday, Dec. 17 TEMPLE DANCE NIGHT • The Concourse • 9PM • Knoxville’s long-running alternative once night. 18 and up. • $5 SOUTHBOUND SATURDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Saturday, Dec. 10 KNOXVILLE GUITAR SOCIETY WINTER BENEFIT CONCERT • Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan • 7PM • Join the Knoxville Guitar Society for its December benefit concert.

This concert will feature students of local guitar teachers such as Larry Long, Jeff Comas, Ed Roberson, Chris Lee, and Andy LeGrand as well as other guest artists. Visit knoxvilleguitar.org. • $20 Sunday, Dec. 11 OAK RIDGE WIND ENSEMBLE: MUSIC OF THE SEASON CHRISTMAS CONCERT • First Baptist Church Oak Ridge • 3:30PM • Enjoy the spirit of the season as you hear the band perform holiday tunes and favorite Christmas carols. For more info visit www.orcb.org or call 865-482-3568. • FREE Friday, Dec. 16 KSO CLAYTON HOLIDAY CONCERT • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 7:30PM • The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra presents the 30th Annual Clayton Holiday Concert on December 16, 17 and 18 at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium.

Music Director Aram Demirjian conducts the Orchestra and special guests for “A World of Joy.” Musical selections include “Joy to the World,” “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells” and many other traditional holiday carols. The KSO will be joined by special guests Knoxville Choral Society, Go! Contemporary Dance Works, the Powell High School Singers, mezzo-soprano Allison Deady, and Santa Claus. Visit knoxvillesymphony.com. • $16-$47 Saturday, Dec. 17 KSO CLAYTON HOLIDAY CONCERT • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 3PM and 7:30PM • Visit knoxvillesymphony. com. • $16-$47 Sunday, Dec. 18

CALENDAR KSO CLAYTON HOLIDAY CONCERT • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 3PM • Visit knoxvillesymphony.com. • $16-$47

THEATER AND DANCE

Thursday, Dec. 8 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Prepare ye for the timeless tale of friendship, loyalty and love based on the Broadway musical that inspired a generation. The disciples help Jesus Christ tell parables, using a wide variety of songs and comic timing. An eclectic blend of music, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus’ messages of kindness, tolerance and love come vibrantly to life. Dec. 2-18. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • The tradition continues – anew! With a brand new look and a new adaptation, we return with a classic holiday favorite. Join us as Ebenezer Scrooge gets one last chance for redemption when he sees his past, present, and the possibilities for the future with four persuasive ghosts.

Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 7:30PM • This December, River and Rail Theatre Company will premiere a new original folk musical The Unusual Tale of Mary and Joseph’s Baby. Written by Tennessee-based award-winning recording artist Don Chaffer and New York playwright Chris Cragin-Day, The Unusual Tale of Mary and Joseph’s Baby surprises virgin-believing and non-virgin-believing audiences alike, engaging this oft-told story with a sincerity and humanity that bursts with imagination and wonder. Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre.com. • $18-$25 • See Spotlight on page 24.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 8PM • Nine out of 10 people have seasonal allergies, but nobody has a case worse than Julia Shelby and her brother Peter. So get ready to laugh away your throat tickle, and clear your sinuses with a healthy dose of holiday fun. Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Friday, Dec. 9 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Dec. 2-18. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 THE WORDPLAYERS: ‘JUNIE B. IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS!’ • Pellissippi State Community College • 7:30PM • Written by Allison Gregory and based on the extremely popular Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park, this fast paced play is filled with over-the-top characters, witty dialogue, and hilarious situations. Come along with Junie B. as she learns to cope with her challenged holiday spirit, struggles to find the right gift, and brightens holiday spirits along the way. Dec. 9-11. Visit wordplayers. org. • $8-$12 APPALACHIAN BALLET COMPANY: THE NUTCRACKER • Clayton Center for the Arts (Maryville) • 7:30PM • The Appalachian Ballet Company will present the annual holiday tradition The Nutcracker in their 45th anniversary season. The production features live music by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 7:30PM • Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre.com. • $18-$25 OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 8PM • Just before Christmas 1942, a seedy little New York radio station—WOV—takes to the air to record a broadcast of The Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade for the troops overseas. As the harassed producer copes with the lead singer who is often drunk, the second banana who dreams of singing a ballad, the sexy chanteuse who drives the men wild, and the delivery boy who just wants to be on the air, the show bursts forth with the rhythm and stomp of the big band sound. Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 8PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Saturday, Dec. 10 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 1PM and 5PM • Dec. 2-18.

Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 THE WORDPLAYERS: ‘JUNIE B. IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS!’ • Pellissippi State Community College • 2:30PM • Dec. 9-11. Visit wordplayers.org. • $8-$12 APPALACHIAN BALLET COMPANY: THE NUTCRACKER • Clayton Center for the Arts (Maryville) • 3PM THE NATIVITY PAGEANT OF KNOXVILLE • Knoxville Civic Coliseum • 3PM • Whatever else be lost among the years, let us keep Christmas – for its meaning never ends. The one-hour performance starts in darkness. Please be sure to arrive early to avoid having to find seats in the dark.

Children are welcome, all performances are family-friendly. Because it is free to everyone, there are no tickets and it is open seating. This Pageant is presented free of charge to all. The financial obligations and expenses are met through the contributions and support of individuals and business throughout the community. • FREE CONTEMPORARY DANCE ENSEMBLE HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 7PM • The Contemporary Dance Ensemble Holiday Spectacular is a holiday performance filled with excitement, laughter, and emotion. Enjoy the passion of the season with dance numbers ranging from the graceful lyrical to the ever-popular upbeat HipHop. The antics of Santa, Rudolph, Frosty and the Grinch combined with the athleticism of the dancers are sure to please even the most humbug of audience members. Come and join us for an evening of joy and delight. • $18 RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 2:30PM and 7:30PM • Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre. com. • $18-$25 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 8PM • Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 8PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Sunday, Dec. 11 THE WORDPLAYERS: ‘JUNIE B. IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS!’ • Pellissippi State Community College • 2:30PM • Dec. 9-11. Visit wordplayers.org. • $8-$12 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 3PM • Dec. 2-18. Visit December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 27

CALENDAR knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 THE NATIVITY PAGEANT OF KNOXVILLE • Knoxville Civic Coliseum • 3PM • FREE CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 2PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 2PM • Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 2:30PM • Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre.com. • $18-$25 THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 3PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Monday, Dec. 12 THE NATIVITY PAGEANT OF KNOXVILLE • Knoxville Civic Coliseum • 7PM • FREE Wednesday, Dec. 14 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 7:30PM • Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre.com. • $18-$25 Thursday, Dec. 15 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Dec. 2-18. Visit

Thursday, Dec. 8 - Sunday, Dec. 18

knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 7:30PM • Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre.com. • $18-$25 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE: MODERN DANCE PRIMITIVE LIGHT • Laurel Theater • 8PM • This unforgettable performance includes works by area choreographers and dancers, as well as live music from local musicians. The venue provides audiences with a unique and intimate performance experience. Modern Dance Primitive Light conveys the warm inviting spirit of the holidays with respect to the diversity of our audiences. Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $15 Friday, Dec. 16 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Dec. 2-18. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 7:30PM • Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre.com. • $18-$25 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE: MODERN DANCE PRIMITIVE LIGHT • Laurel Theater • 7 and 9PM • This unforgettable

performance includes works by area choreographers and dancers, as well as live music from local musicians. The venue provides audiences with a unique and intimate performance experience. Modern Dance Primitive Light conveys the warm inviting spirit of the holidays with respect to the diversity of our audiences. Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $15

knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 2PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 2:30PM • Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre.com. • $18-$25

Saturday, Dec. 17 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 1PM and 5PM • Dec. 2-18.

Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 18. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

RIVER AND RAIL THEATRE COMPANY: ‘THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY’ • The Fifth Avenue House • 2:30PM and 7:30PM • Dec. 8-18. Visit riverandrailtheatre. com. • $18-$25 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE: MODERN DANCE PRIMITIVE LIGHT • Laurel Theater • 7 and 9PM • This unforgettable performance includes works by area choreographers and dancers, as well as live music from local musicians. The venue provides audiences with a unique and intimate performance experience. Modern Dance Primitive Light conveys the warm inviting spirit of the holidays with respect to the diversity of our audiences. Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $15

COMEDY AND SPOKEN WORD

Sunday, Dec. 18 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 3PM • Dec. 2-18. Visit

Thursday, Dec. 8 PIZZA HAS • Pizza Hoss • 8PM • On the second Thursday of the month, Pizza Hoss in Powell hosts a showcase featuring sets from some of the best comedians in East Tennessee along with selected up-and-coming talent.

Each month one of the hosts of Rain/Shine Event productions (Shane Rhyne, Tyler Sonnichsen, and Sean Simoneau) serves as your guide to introduce you the best of our region’s comedy scene. • FREE Sunday, Dec. 11 UPSTAIRS UNDERGROUND COMEDY • Preservation Pub • 8PM • A weekly comedy open mic. Visit scruffycity.com.

Monday, Dec. 12 FRIENDLYTOWN • Pilot Light • 7:30PM • A weekly comedy night named after the former red-light district near the Old City. Visit facebook.com/friendlytownknoxville. 18 and up. • FREE

SHOP ALL HOLIDAY SEASON LONG WITH PATRICIA NASH DESIGNS MONDAY - FRIDAY 9AM TO 6PM

Come Visit Our Flagship Location at 1132 North 6th Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917

shop online anytime at patricianashdesigns.com

28

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

CALENDAR Tuesday, Dec. 13 EINSTEIN SIMPLIFIED • Scruffy City Hall • 8PM • Einstein Simplified Comedy performs live comedy improv at Scruffy City Hall. It’s just like Whose Line Is It Anyway, but you get to make the suggestions. Show starts at 8:15, get there early for the best seats. No cover. Visit einsteinsimplified.com. • FREE OPEN MIC STAND-UP COMEDY • Longbranch Saloon • 8PM • Come laugh until you cry at the Longbranch every Tuesday night. Doors open at 8:30, first comic at 9. No cover charge, all are welcome. Aspiring or experienced comics interested in joining in the fun can email us at longbranch.info@gmail.com to learn more, or simply come to the show a few minutes early. • FREE KNOXVILLE POETRY SLAM • The Open Chord • 8PM • All ages. • $5 Thursday, Dec. 15 THIRD THURSDAY COMEDY OPEN MIC • Big Fatty’s Catering Kitchen • 7:30PM • We will showcase local and touring talent in a curated open mic of 6 to 8 comics. The event starts at 7:30, and there is no charge for admission. The kitchen will be open as well as their full bar. • FREE Sunday, Dec. 18 UPSTAIRS UNDERGROUND COMEDY • Preservation Pub • 8PM • A weekly comedy open mic. Visit scruffycity.com.

FESTIVALS

Thursday, Dec. 8 17TH STREET STUDIOS OPEN STUDIO NIGHT • Redeemer Church of Knoxville • 6PM • Come socialize, tour the studios, and view and purchase artwork. Artists will display artwork and there will be a pop up market of original artwork for sale at a wide range of prices. 17th Street Studios is a work space for artists Eric Brittain, Lesley Eaton, Jon Hendricks, Renee Holiday, Janet McMullen, Beth Meadows, Gwyn Pevonka, and Britton Sharp. 17th street studios is located in Redeemer Church at the corner of 17th and Highland in the Fort Sanders neighborhood. Parking is available in the parking lot on the corner and along the street on Highland Avenue. Visit 17thstreetstudios.gutensite.com/. • FREE Friday, Dec. 9 CHRISTMAS AT CHILHOWEE • Chilhowee Park • 6PM • Lighting of the tree on the Chilhowee Park Bandstand.

Live music and many free activities. Train rides for all ages, pictures with Santa Claus, marshmallow roasting, hot cocoa by All Occasions Catering, face painting, balloon animals, and more. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 10 MARBLE SPRINGS CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT TOURS • Marble Springs State Historic Site • 4PM • The historic buildings will be decorated with fresh greenery. Music, open hearth cooking, baked goods, and warm drinks will set your heart aglow with holiday spirit. Entrance is a suggested $2 donation. For more information please call (865)573-5508, email info@marblesprings.net, or visit our website at www.marblesprings.net. • $2 MABRY-HAZEN HOUSE CHRISTMAS TOURS • Mabry-Hazen House • 5PM • Our final event of the year before we close for the winter, the rooms of the house will be decorated in the spirit of the holiday season. The event is free of charge and light refreshments will be served. Donations are encouraged and appreciated. Mabry-Hazen House will be open by appointment from December 12th until March 1st, 2017. • FREE

EAST TENNESSEE HISTORICAL SOCIETY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE • East Tennessee History Center • 11AM • Entertainment will be provided by the Smokyland Sound Chorus of the Greater Knoxville Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Activities include craft demonstrations and the sale of handmade items, free ornament and craft making for the kids, and holiday refreshments. For more information, visit www.eastTNhistory.org or call 865-215-8824. • FREE DOGWOOD DECEMBER ART DETOUR • Downtown Knoxville • 10AM • Dogwood December Art DeTour is a one-day event where local artists welcome the public into their actual studio space to experience the working creative process as the artist demonstrates the making of a work of art.

Studios include Pretentious Beer and Glassware Company, Bobbie Crews Studio at the Emporium Center, Central Collective, Ironwood Studios, and Pioneer House.

Visit dogwoodarts.com. • FREE NORTH HILLS HOLIDAY HOME TOUR • 4PM • The tour will feature seven unique homes, an area church and nearby fire station #11. This festive event has been a neighborhood tradition for over 20 years. For more information on the North Hills Garden Club, including details on the home tour, visit the club’s Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthHillsGardenClub or website at northhillsgardenclub.wixsite.com/nhgc. • $10-$12 Sunday, Dec. 11 NARROW RIDGE HOLIDAY PARTY • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 2PM • Narrow Ridge invites friends and neighbors to join us in celebration of the holiday season as we munch on snacks, sing Christmas carols and reflect on the year that is coming to a close. Guests are invited to bring finger food snacks as they are able. Signs will be posted to lead you to our Strawbale Lodge. For more information contact Mitzi at 865-497-3603 or community@narrowridge.org. • FREE MABRY-HAZEN HOUSE CHRISTMAS TOURS • Mabry-Hazen House • 2PM • Our final event of the year before we close for the winter, the rooms of the house will be decorated in the spirit of the holiday season. The event is free of charge and light refreshments will be served. Donations are encouraged and appreciated. Mabry-Hazen House will be open by appointment from December 12th until March 1st, 2017. • FREE HISTORIC RAMSEY HOUSE CANDLELIGHT TOUR • Historic Ramsey House • 6PM •The house will be decked out in its usual splendor using natural greens, with seasonal vegetables, fruits and nuts and of course the home will be lit with the warm glow candlelight. Please come and join us for a look into Christmas past. Donations will be accepted to help benefit future programming. For information call 865-546-0745 or go to www. ramseyhouse.org • FREE Friday, Dec. 16 HOLIDAY FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS • Concord Park • 6PM • The three-quarter-mile greenway trail will be illuminated nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. The Holiday Festival of Lights has grown over the past few years with illuminated displays and a series of lights coordinated to music. Visitors walk the three-quarter mile greenway trail to view the lights. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 17 HOLIDAY FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS • Concord Park • 6PM • The three-quarter-mile greenway trail will be illuminated nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. The Holiday Festival of Lights has grown over the past few years with illuminated displays and a series of lights coordinated to music. Visitors walk the three-quarter mile greenway trail to view the lights. • FREE

HISTORIC HAPPY HIOLLER .

NC

presents

Winter

Hollerday 2016

10AM - 4PM Experience local artists, crafters, vendors, and businesses sharing the sidewalks of

Historic Happy Holler.

**Entertainment provided by DJ Trav**

VENDORS WANTED!

Please check the Historic Happy Holler Inc. Facebook page for information.

Tile Sensations

Cordially Invites You to Our

Pop-Up Holiday Shop!

Enjoy a Winter Wonderland Shopping experience with Hot Cider and tasty treats!

Sunday, December 11th · 12p–5p Handmade goods from local artists and artisans, health and beauty products, vintage and flea market finds are just the beginning of our fantastic selection!

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Haiti Outreach Program www.haitioutreachprogram.com

Hosted By:

3413 Sutherland Avenue, Knoxville 37919 Questions? 865.329.3290 www.tilesensations.net

December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 29

CALENDAR Sunday, Dec. 18 HOLIDAY FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS • Concord Park • 6PM • The three-quarter-mile greenway trail will be illuminated nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. The Holiday Festival of Lights has grown over the past few years with illuminated displays and a series of lights coordinated to music. Visitors walk the three-quarter mile greenway trail to view the lights. • FREE

FILM SCREENINGS

Sunday, Dec. 11 IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE • Tennessee Theatre • 1PM • An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed. • FREE Monday, Dec. 12 THE BIRDHOUSE WALK-IN THEATER • The Birdhouse • 8:15PM • A weekly free movie screening. Visit birdhouseknoxville.com. • FREE Wednesday, Dec. 14 THE PUBLIC CINEMA: RAIN THE COLOR BLUE WITH A LITTLE RED IN IT • Scruffy City Hall • 8PM • Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar stars in his first film, a revolutionary story of guitars, motorcycles, cellphones – and the music of a new generation. Visit publiccinema.org. • FREE • See review on page 23.

Sunday, Dec. 18 WHITE CHRISTMAS • Tennessee Theatre • 2PM • After

Thursday, Dec. 8 - Sunday, Dec. 18

World War II, song and dance men Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) form a successful partnership eventually becoming top Broadway producers. • $9

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Thursday, Dec. 8 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 4PM • $7-$45 CYCOLOGY BICYCLES THURSDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 10AM • Visit cycologybicycles.com. • FREE NORTH KNOXVILLE BEER RUNNERS • Central Flats and Taps • 6PM • Meet us at Central Flats and Taps every Thursday night for a fun and easy run leading us right through Saw Works for a midway beer. • FREE FLEET FEET GROUP RUN/WALK • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 6PM • Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com. • FREE Friday, Dec. 9 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 10AM • $7-$45 Saturday, Dec. 10 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 10AM • $7-$45 KTC LOYSTON POINT SCRAMBLE • 11AM • The inaugural running of the Loyston Point Scramble consisted of a 7-8 mile course that wound circuitously through the Loyston Point recreation area, a TVA Norris Reservoir facility also known as Point 19, using marvelous trails including the Hemlock Bluff National Recreation Trail. This year we

proudly present the inaugural Loyston Point Scramble Trail Half Marathon and 10k. As is often the case, a one mile Kids Trail Race will precede the adult race. Visit ktc.org. • $15 Sunday, Dec. 11 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 1PM • $7-$45 SMOKY MOUNTAIN HIKING CLUB: HOUSE MOUNTAIN • 8AM • We will first climb to the West Overlook, where we hope to be rewarded with nice views of downtown Knoxville, East Knoxville farmland, and several significant peaks in the Cumberland. From the 2100 ft. crest (the highest point in Knox County) we will cruise to the East Overlook via a gently rolling ridge, stopping at some outcroppings along the way. Then it’s back down the East Overlook Trail to the parking area for hot cider. Hike: 4.5 miles, rated moderate due to 950 ft. initial climb. Meet at Comcast, 5720 Asheville Hwy at 8:00 am. Leader: Brad Reese, bradktn@gmail.com. • FREE

CYCOLOGY BICYCLES TUESDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 9AM and 10:30AM • Visit cycologybicycles.com.

• FREE HARD KNOX TUESDAY FUN RUN • Hard Knox Pizzeria • 6:30PM • Join Hard Knox Pizzeria every Tuesday evening (rain or shine) for a 2-3 mile fun run. Burn calories.

Devour pizza. Quench thirst. • FREE Wednesday, Dec. 14 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 4PM • $7-$45 FLEET FEET WEDNESDAY LUNCH BREAK RUN • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 12PM • Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com. • FREE KTC GROUP RUN • Runner’s Market • 5:30PM • Visit ktc.org.

• FREE TVB EASY RIDER MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE • Ijams Nature Center • 6PM • Call 865-540-9979 or visit tnvalleybikes. com. • FREE

Monday, Dec. 12 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 4PM • $7-$45 KTC GROUP RUN • Mellow Mushroom • 6PM • Visit ktc.org.

• FREE TVB MONDAY NIGHT ROAD RIDE • Tennessee Valley Bikes • 6PM • Visit tnvalleybikes.com. • FREE BEARDEN BEER MARKET FUN RUN • Bearden Beer Market • 6:30PM • Visit beardenbeermarket.com. • FREE YOGA FOR RUNNERS • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 7PM • Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com/training/yoga-for-runners. • $5

Thursday, Dec. 15 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 4PM • $7-$45 CYCOLOGY BICYCLES THURSDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 10AM • Visit cycologybicycles.com. • FREE NORTH KNOXVILLE BEER RUNNERS • Central Flats and Taps • 6PM • Meet us at Central Flats and Taps every Thursday night for a fun and easy run leading us right through Saw Works for a midway beer. • FREE FLEET FEET GROUP RUN/WALK • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 6PM • Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com. • FREE

Tuesday, Dec. 13 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 4PM • $7-$45

Friday, Dec. 16 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 10AM • $7-$45

Curated libations for all your holiday occasions.

Downtown Knoxville's only wine + spirits shop since 2007.

Offering artisan spirits, naturally made wines and a rotating beer selection.

Follow us on Instagram (@dtwineandspiritsknox) for weekly specials and tastings.

407 S. Gay Street • 865-525-7575 • Mon - Thurs 11AM - 10PM • Fri - Sat 11AM - 11PM 30

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

CALENDAR TOUR DE LIGHTS • Market Square • 7PM • Join us for this fun, free bike parade through downtown, 4th & Gill and Old North Knoxville. Riders are encouraged to get creative with lights, costumes and decorations. The route is about 5 miles long. All streets will be completely closed for the event. www.ibikeknx.com/tourdelights for details. Free bike safety checks and judging for the decorating contest start at 6 p.m. Hot cocoa and treats are available thanks to Mast General Store and Three Rivers Market. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 17 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 10AM • $7-$45 SMOKY MOUNTAIN HIKING CLUB: GREENBRIER RAMBLE • 8AM • We will start at the Ranger Station in Greenbrier.

We will pass Glenn Cardwell’s childhood home site, the spring for this home, and maybe some remnants of an old Ford near the creek. Hike: about 4 miles round trip, rated easy. Meet at Comcast, 5720 Asheville Hwy at 8:00 am. Leader: Marti Smith, marti@gsmassoc.org. • FREE Sunday, Dec. 18 HOLIDAYS ON ICE • Market Square • 1PM • $7-$45 SMOKY MOUNTAIN HIKING CLUB: BIG RIDGE STATE PARK • 8AM • Big Ridge State Park comprises historic cemeteries, a haunted house, the site of an eighteenth century fort, a CCC dam, and many other traces of nineteenth- and early twentieth- century inhabitants. Hike: 8-9 miles, rated moderate, however, there may be some very steep sections. Meet at Comcast 5720 Asheville Hwy at 8:00 am. Leader: Liz Parmalee, lizparmalee@comcast.net. • FREE

ART

The District Gallery 5113 Kingston Pike DEC. 2-30: My Knoxville: Interpretations of Home, a group exhibit featuring artwork by Cinamon Airhart, Mike C. Berry, Gary Dagnan, Connie Gaertner, Kathie Odom, and Joe Parrott. Visit thedistrictgallery.com.

East Tennessee History Center 601 S. Gay St. NOV. 19-APRIL 30: Rock of Ages: East Tennessee’s Marble Industry. NOV. 19-JAN. 2: A Man and His Bike, an exhibit remembering Waymon Earl Terrell. Visit easttnhistory.org.

Emporium Center for Arts and Culture 100 S. Gay St. DEC. 2-23: Arts and Culture Alliance 2016 Members Show. Visit knoxalliance.com.

Ewing Gallery 1715 Volunteer Boulevard NOV. 7-DEC. 11: The View Out His Window [and in his mind’s eye]: Photographs by Jeffrey Becton and The Lure of Main: Work by Carl Sublett and Holly Stevens. Visit ewing-gallery.utk.edu.

Fountain City Art Center 213 Hotel Road NOV. 18-JAN. 12: Fountain City Art Guild Annual Holiday Show and Sale. Visit fountaincityartcenter.com.

Knoxville Museum of Art 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive NOV. 25-JAN. 8: East Tennessee Regional Student Art Competition. ONGOING: Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in Tennessee; Currents: Recent Art From East Tennessee and Beyond; and Facets of Modern and

Contemporary Glass.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture 1327 Circle Park Drive SEPT. 17-JAN. 8: Knoxville Unearthed: Archaeology in the Heart of the Valley. ONGOING: The Flora and Fauna of Catesby, Mason, and Audubon and Life on the Roman Frontier.

Pioneer House 413 S. Gay St. NOV. 4-DEC. 31: Folk art, clothing, Nativa American artifacts, and more from the personal collection of Marty Stuart. Visit pioneer-house.com.

Westminster Presbyterian Church Schilling Gallery 6500 Northshore Drive NOV. 8-JAN. 2: Paintings by Rebecca Mullen. Visit wpcknox.org.

FAMILY AND KIDS’ EVENTS

Thursday, Dec. 8 LITTLE LEARNERS • Blount County Public Library • 10:30AM • Recommended for ages 3-5. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE CHESS AT THE LIBRARY • Blount County Public Library • 1PM • Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE LEGO CLUB • Blount County Public Library • 4PM • Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE Friday, Dec. 9 CHRISTMAS AT CHILHOWEE • Chilhowee Park • 6PM • Lighting of the tree on the Chilhowee Park Bandstand.

Live music and many free activities. Build a gingerbread house with Austin East Culinary Arts Department. Train rides for all ages, pictures with Santa Claus, marshmallow roasting, hot cocoa by All Occasions Catering, face painting, balloon animals, and more. The Muse Knoxville will have special activities. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 10 CHESS AT THE LIBRARY • Blount County Public Library • 10AM • For middle and high school students, with coach Tom Jobe. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE MCCLUNG MUSEUM FAMILY FUN DAY: BIRDS AND PRINTS • McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture • 1PM • Join us for free a free Family Fun Day featuring activities, crafts, tours, and more. Visitors will learn about the museum’s ornithological print collection and the printmaking process. All materials will be provided. The program is free and open to the public. Reservations are not necessary. • FREE BLOUNT COUNTY NERD GROUP • Blount County Public Library • 3PM • Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE S.T.E.A.M. KIDS • Blount County Public Library • 4PM • For grades K-5. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE HANNAH RIALS: ‘ASCENSION’ • Union Ave Books • 3PM • Book signing with Hannah Rials author of a new young adult novel, Ascension. Visit unionavebooks.com. • FREE WDVX KIDSTUFF LIVE • WDVX • 10AM • Sean McCollough’s weekly kids’ music show hosts a live studio audience on the second Saturday of each month. Visit wdvx.com. • FREE GAMING AT THE LIBRARY • Blount County Public Library • 2PM • Games of all kinds: board games, MarioKart, Super December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 31

CALENDAR

Thursday, Dec. 8 - Sunday, Dec. 18

CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY KID TO KID: FUN WITH A PURPOSE • Cancer Support Community • 3:30PM • Your children will gain coping skills and have opportunities to talk about a loved one’s cancer diagnosis while also having fun. Please call before your first visit and RSVP. 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS • Blount County Public Library • 5:30PM • Recommended for ages 10 and up but any age may join in the fun of this tabletop role-playing game by learning about the game and sharing your love of fantasy.

Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE

Smash Bros., Yu-Gi-Oh!, or bring your own game to share.

Visit blountlibrary.org.

Sunday, Dec. 11 KMA ART ACTIVITY DAY • Knoxville Museum of Art • 1PM • Every second Sunday of each month, the KMA will host free drop-in art activities for families. A local artist will be on-site to lead hands-on art activities. • FREE WINTER FESTIVAL AND HANUKKAH FUN • Arnstein Jewish Community Center • 3PM • A multi-generational event that includes gift making and gift wrap making for all winter celebrations including Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Join us and enjoy multicultural songs and stories, donut decorating, dreidel spinning, science art with oil, menorah making, and more. Fun for all ages. • FREE Monday, Dec. 12 MCCLUNG MUSEUM STROLLER TOUR • McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture • 10AM • The event, called “Tweeting Away,” will focus on the art of printmaking and nature exploration through bird watching and will include a guided craft activity. The Stroller Tour is free and open to the public, but reservations are necessary and are first-come, first-served. Participants may register online or by calling 865-974-2144. Visit mcclungmuseum.utk. edu. • FREE Tuesday, Dec. 13 LITTLE LEARNERS • Blount County Public Library • 10:30AM • Recommended for ages 3-5. IVisit blountlibrary.org. • FREE

Wednesday, Dec. 14 BABY AND ME • Blount County Public Library • 10:30AM • Recommended for ages 2 and under. Visit blountlibrary. org. • FREE Thursday, Dec. 15 LITTLE LEARNERS • Blount County Public Library • 10:30AM • Recommended for ages 3-5. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE Friday, Dec. 16 CHESS AT THE LIBRARY • Blount County Public Library • 1PM • Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 17 CHESS AT THE LIBRARY • Blount County Public Library • 10AM • Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE BLOUNT COUNTY NERD GROUP • Blount County Public

The Red Piano Lounge

Library • 3PM • Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE S.T.E.A.M. KIDS • Blount County Public Library • 4PM • For grades K-5. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE KNOX LIT EXCHANGE • Central Collective • 11:30AM • The Knoxville Literary Exchange is a free, monthly poetry and prose writing workshop open to high school age students. The workshop will focus on giving students the opportunity to engage in writing, share their writing, and receive encouraging feedback--all in a supportive, safe space. The Knoxville Literary Exchange meets every third Saturday in the fall (September, October, November, and December) and spring (February, March, April, May). For further information, please contact organizer Liam Hysjulien at KnoxLitExchange@gmail.com. • FREE

LECTURES, READINGS, AND BOOK SIGNINGS

Saturday, Dec. 10 FIVE POETS AND A TRAVELING SALESWOMAN • Southland Books (Maryville) • 1PM • An afternoon of poetry with K.B. Ballentine, Sue Weaver Dunlap, Judith Duvall, Austin Kodra, Linda Parsons, and Diana Amann. • FREE Sunday, Dec. 11 ANN BRIDGES AND KEN WISE: ‘MOUNT LECONTE’ • Union Ave Books • 2PM • Book signing with Ann Bridges and Ken Wise, editors of Mount LeConte by Paul J. Adams.

Visit unionavebooks.com. • FREE

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

Happy Hour Every N ight 5pm-8pm $5 House Martinis $4 House Wines $3 Select Import & Craft Bottles

2543 SUTHERLAND AVE. 865-523-9177 • dive@skiscuba.com

Tuesday, Dec. 13 KNOXVILLE CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE • Bearden Banquet Hall • 7PM • Featuring notable historians and other Civil War experts. Call (865) 671-9001 for reservations. • $3-$17

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

Thursday, Dec. 8 GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 12PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted.

KNOXVILLE CAPOEIRA CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • Visit knoxvillecapoeira.org. • $10 KNOXVILLE PERSONAL TRAINING PILATES • Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church • 6:30PM • Call (865) 622-3103 or visit knoxvillepersonaltraining.com. • $4 BEGINNING ACROYOGA • Breezeway Yoga Studio • 7:30PM • This beginner level class is for those either brand new to AcroYoga or just starting out. Each class explores the foundations of the AcroYoga practice. • $15 BELLY DANCE LEVELS 1 AND 2 • Knox Dance Worx • 8PM • Call (865) 898-2126 or email alexia@alexia-dance.com. • $12 Saturday, Dec. 10 YOGA AT NARROW RIDGE • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 9:30AM • For information call 865-497-2753 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE

CALENDAR KNOX HERITAGE PRESERVATION NETWORK • Knox Heritage • 10AM • Preservation Network is a series of free workshops held once every month on the second Saturday. The monthly workshops feature guest speakers who are specialists in windows, flooring, roofing, stained glass, tile, plumbing, electrical, and more. For more information visit www.knoxheritage.org. • FREE HISTORIC RAMSEY HOUSE WREATH-MAKING WORKSHOP • Historic Ramsey House • 12:30PM • Tis the Season and no proper door should be without a fresh green wreath.

Come and join us at Ramsey House and make your own natural green wreath. 865-546-0745. • $35 BEGINNING ACROYOGA WORKSHOP • Maryville Yoga • 1PM •Visit acroknox.com. • $25-$35 Sunday, Dec. 11 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE BALLET BARRE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 1PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE OPEN LEVEL MODERN TECHNIQUE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 2PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE IMPROVISATION CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 3:30PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 ACROYOGA FOUNDATIONS CLASS • Dragonfly Aerial Arts Studio • 5:30PM • Visit acroknox.com. • $5 TASTE OF INDIA: A VEGETARIAN COOKING WORKSHOP • Central Collective • 5:30PM • Savor the Flavors of India in this cooking class. • $52 Monday, Dec. 12 RESTORATIVE YOGA • St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral • 5PM • For more information or to reserve your spot, email sjc@performancetraininginc.com.

BEGINNER MODERN BELLY DANCE • Broadway Academy of Performing Arts • 6PM • No dance experience is necessary. • $13 GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 6PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted.

KNOXVILLE PERSONAL TRAINING BOOT CAMP • Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church • 6:30PM • First class is free. Call (865) 622-3103 or visit knoxvillepersonaltraining.com. • $15 Tuesday, Dec. 13 OPEN PROFESSIONAL-LEVEL CONTEMPORARY DANCE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 9:30AM • $10 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY NUTRITION AMMUNITION • Cancer Support Community • 12PM • Call (865) 546-4611.

All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 12PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted.

KNOXVILLE CAPOEIRA CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • Visit capoeiraknoxville.org. • $10 KNOXVILLE PERSONAL TRAINING PILATES • Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church • 6:30PM • Every Tuesday and Thursday. First class is free. Call (865) 622-3103 or visit knoxvillepersonaltraining.com. • $4 Wednesday, Dec. 14 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED MODERN TECHNIQUE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 BEGINNER MODERN BELLY DANCE • Broadway Academy of Performing Arts • 6PM • No dance experience is necessary. • $13

CIRCLE MODERN DANCE OPEN LEVEL BALLET CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 7:30PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 Thursday, Dec. 15 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY CHAIR YOGA • Cancer Support Community • 10AM • 865-546-4661. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 12PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted.

CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY: HEALING THROUGH ART • Cancer Support Community • 1PM • No experience necessary. RSVP. Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY: KNIT YOUR WAY TO WELLNESS • Cancer Support Community • 1PM • Call 865-546-4661. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

KNOXVILLE CAPOEIRA CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • Visit knoxvillecapoeira.org. • $10 KNOXVILLE PERSONAL TRAINING PILATES • Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church • 6:30PM • Every Tuesday and Thursday. First class is free. Call (865) 622-3103 or visit knoxvillepersonaltraining.com. • $4 ADULT COLORING SESSIONS • Blount County Public Library • 7PM • Remember the carefree joy of picking up your favorite crayon or marker and adding color to a beautiful picture? Experience the same fun and relaxation even though you are now an adult. • FREE BEGINNING ACROYOGA • Breezeway Yoga Studio • 7:30PM • This beginner level class is for those either brand new to AcroYoga or just starting out. Each class explores the foundations of the AcroYoga practice. • $15 BELLY DANCE LEVELS 1 AND 2 • Knox Dance Worx • 8PM • Call (865) 898-2126 or email alexia@alexia-dance.com. • $12 Friday, Dec. 16 “IT’S YOUR CAREER: MANAGING PEOPLE AND PERSONALITIES” • Blount County Public Library • 7:30AM • “It’s Your Career: Managing People and Personalities” will be a part of an ongoing series of Soft Skill workshops designed to take your career to the next level. For class synopsis and registration information, go to blountchamber.com/ community/soft-skills or call 865-983-2241. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 17 YOGA AT NARROW RIDGE • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 9:30AM • For information call 865-497-2753 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY: MINDFULNESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE • Cancer Support Community • 10AM • Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

Sunday, Dec. 18 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE BALLET BARRE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 1PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE OPEN LEVEL MODERN TECHNIQUE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 2PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE IMPROVISATION CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 3:30PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 ACROYOGA FOUNDATIONS CLASS • Dragonfly Aerial Arts Studio • 5:30PM • Visit acroknox.com. • $5 December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 33

CALENDAR MEETINGS

Thursday, Dec. 8 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMA, AND MYELOMA NETWORKER • Cancer Support Community • 6PM • Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES • The Birdhouse • 6PM •Contact Laura at 706-621-2238 or lamohendricksll@gmail.com for more information or visit the international ACA website at adultchildren.org. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 6PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 10 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROSTATE CANCER NETWORKER • Cancer Support Community • 10AM • Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE NARROW RIDGE SILENT MEDITATION GATHERING • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 11AM • For information call 865-497-2753 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE

Thursday, Dec. 8 - Sunday, Dec. 18

Sunday, Dec. 11 SKEPTIC BOOK CLUB • Books-A-Million • 2PM • The book club of the Rationalists of East Tennessee meets on the second Sunday of every month. Visit rationalists.org. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 5PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Monday, Dec. 12 GAY MEN’S DISCUSSION GROUP • Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church • 7:30PM • Visit gaygroupknoxville.org.

Tuesday, Dec. 13 KNOXVILLE WRITERS’ GROUP • Naples Italian Restaurant • 11AM • Guest speakers read from and discuss their work.

All-inclusive lunch is $12.00. RSVP to 865-983-3740.

ATHEISTS SOCIETY OF KNOXVILLE • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 5:30PM • Weekly atheists meetup and happy hour. Come join us for food, drink and great conversation.

Everyone welcome. • FREE DER GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS STAMMTISCH • Los Amigos • 6PM • A weekly gathering for Germans and anyone interested in German culture and the German language. • FREE HARVEY BROOME GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB • Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church • 7PM • The Sierra Club is a national, member-supported environmental organization that seeks to influence public policy in Washington D.C., in the state capitals, and locally through

public education and grass-roots political action.• FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 7PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE THREE RIVERS! EARTH FIRST! • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM • Call (865) 257-4029 for more information.

• FREE Wednesday, Dec. 14 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Thursday, Dec. 15 ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES • The Birdhouse • 6PM • Contact Laura at 706-621-2238 or lamohendricksll@gmail.com for more information or visit the international ACA website at adultchildren.org. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 6PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT GROUP • Cancer Support Community • 6PM • Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

BLACK LIVES MATTER • The Birdhouse • 7:30PM • Visit blacklivesmatterknoxville.org. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 17 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Visit

farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE NARROW RIDGE SILENT MEDITATION GATHERING • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 11AM • For information call 865-497-2753 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE Sunday, Dec. 18 RATIONALISTS OF EAST TENNESSEE • Pellissippi State Community College • 10:30AM • Visit rationalists.org. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 5PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE

ETC.

Thursday, Dec. 8 GOODWILL UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY • Bearden Beer Market • 6PM • Join Bearden Beer Market and Goodwill Industries-Knoxville as we master the art of the tacky sweater at our ugly holiday sweater workshop.

Goodwill is providing the sweaters and swag to bedazzle and bedeck your festive-wear. Details at goodwillknoxville.org/shareyoursweater. • $!5 CAMPFIRE STORIES • Central Collective • 6PM • Human connection thrives on storytelling, be it a joke, a family legend, fairy tale, or a paranormal experience. This month at the Central Collective, we’re calling forth this connection with stories around the [indoor] campfire, complete with tents and s’mores. You’ll get the chance to

CIRCLE MODERN DANCE PRESENTS

Historic Laurel Theater 1538 Laurel Avenue

Thurs. Dec 15, 8PM Fri. Dec 16, 7PM & 9PM* Sat. Dec 17, 7PM & 9PM* Tickets $10 & $15 at the door Advanced tickets at CircleModernDance.com *Attend the Fri & Sat 9PM shows for $5 off! Advance tickets only.

For additional Information contact CMD at (865) 309-5309 or CircleModernDance@gmail.com

34

KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

SOLUTION TO CRYPTOQUOTE

“I only trust a music that is a language between the composer and the listener: sharing an intellectual and spiritual experience.”

— Kenton Coe, award-winning composer and former Knoxvillian

CALENDAR listen to others and tell your own stories, ideally limited to 10 minutes per person, and PG-13 (kids are welcome).

To get you started we have three prompts to choose from, ranging from light-hearted to deep, true or fantasy. Or if you’d rather just come and listen, we’d love to have you there.• $10 KNOXVILLE SQUARE DANCE • Laurel Theater • 8PM • Jubilee Community Arts presents Knoxville Square Dance with live old-time music by the Helgramites and calling

by Stan Sharp, Ruth Simmons and Leo Collins. No experience or partner is necessary and the atmosphere is casual. (No taps, please.) Visit jubileearts.org. • $7 Friday, Dec. 9 NARROW RIDGE MUSIC, ART, AND VINTAGE WHISKEY AUCTION • Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church • 7PM • Narrow Ridge invites you to join us for an evening of fine art and music with wine and cheese and local craft beers. This fundraising event will offer art connoisseurs and other conscientious consumers the opportunity to take home a special one-of-a-kind treasure just in time for the holidays. The works of local and other renowned artists and craft persons will be sold in both live and silent auctions. In addition to the auction of works of art, we will be auctioning a rare bottle of vintage O.F.C. bourbon whiskey donated to Narrow Ridge

by Buffalo Trace Distillery who value the bottle at upwards of $10,000. For more information call 865-497-3603 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 10 MARKET SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET • Market Square • 11AM • Local vendors will line Union and Market with farm-raised holiday decor, baked goods, artisan foods, crafts, and more. Enjoy hot beverages and food from local food trucks while you shop for holiday gifts and decor. Visit marketsquarefarmersmarket.org. • FREE GOOD SPORT NIGHT • Central Collective • 6PM • Here’s the deal. You purchase a ticket to a mystery event. Show up to the Central Collective at the specified date and time, and be ready for anything. Past events have included: a live studio game show, an egg drop competition, a garden party in a castle, and a walking tour of North Knoxville. These are events for folks who are curious, adventurous, and like trying new things and meeting new people. Unless otherwise noted, these events are not programmed for children. Visit thecentralcollective.com.

• $20 Sunday, Dec. 11 SLOW FOOD TENNESSEE VALLEY PIE CONTEST • Hexagon Brewing Co. • 5PM • To enter the contest, bake your best sweet or savory pie, using at least one local ingredient, and submit it by 5:30 pm. There will be local judges on hand to choose the best pie from both the savory and sweet category plus there will be an audience favorite chosen. Prizes will be awarded to the best pies. Entrance free into the event is one pie of your choice or $7 per person. This is a BYOB event although Hexagon Brewing will be sampling some of its brews as well. As always, SFTV strives for zero waste events, so please bring your own place setting (plate, silverware, napkin, drinking glass). For more information go to slowfoodtnvalley.com or message SFTV at info@slowfoodtnvalley.com. • $7 SHAWN POYNTER PHOTOGRAPHY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE • Central Collective • 12PM • Bring your family, pets, friends, or just yourself, enjoy hot cider and snacks, then hop in front of a handmade, holiday backdrop for a few portraits.

We’ll arts and crafts for the kids and good conversation

for the adults. • FREE Tuesday, Dec. 13 ACA ENROLLMENT • South Knoxville Community Center • 3PM • Navigators from Cherokee Health System will assist with ACA enrollment. • FREE GOODWILL UGLY SWEATER PARTY • Ijams Nature Center • 6PM • Join Ijams and Goodwill Industries-Knoxville as we provide tips and tricks to create your very own ugly Christmas sweater using recycled sweaters and swag.

Goodwill is providing all of the supplies needed to bedazzle and bedeck your festive-wear, as well as Christmas music, hot cocoa and cookies. Adult beverages will be available for purchase. After you create your masterpiece, be sure to enter Goodwill’s annual “Share Your Sweater” contest for the chance to win a Goodwill shopping spree. Details at goodwillknoxville.org/ shareyoursweater.Your participation and support helps power Goodwill’s vocational training programs and employment services for individuals with barriers to employment, helping to build Knoxville into a stronger community. In 2015, Goodwill Industries-Knoxville served over 4,100 individuals. Goodwill agencies around the country serve more than 2.4 million people each year. • $15 Thursday, Dec. 15 LOST CREEK FARM HOLIDAY DINNER • Central Collective • 7PM • It’s holiday season, and Lost Creek Farm is coming back to Knoxville to celebrate. Mountain trout, roasted game birds, heritage pork porchetta, fall ramps, wild cranberries, and Appalachian heirloom cornbread. That’s just a sampling of a seasonal menu Chef Mike Costello and Amy Dawson are preparing for a unique feast at the Central Collective on December 15. Continuing a popular series of dinners at The Central Collective, the Lost Creek Farm kitchen brings its signature farm and forage style back to Tennessee. A variety of wild harvested ingredients will be featured on the menu, along with pastured meats and hearty late season vegetables from small farms in West Virginia and East Tennessee. Dinner is BYOB. For this special event, we’re mixing things up and offering family-style service to our guests. Tables of six can be purchased at a $50 overall discount during pre-sale until December 3. As always, individual tickets are available, but we hope you’ll bring your friends and family to celebrate the holiday with The Central Collective and Lost Creek Farm. • $75 THE SPINS • The Open Chord • 8PM • Vinyl Me, Please presents a monthly record night with giveaways, a preview of a newly released record, and live music performances. Visit openshordmusic.com. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 17 MARKET SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET • Market Square • 11AM • Local vendors will line Union and Market with farm-raised holiday decor, baked goods, artisan foods, crafts, and more. Enjoy hot beverages and food from local food trucks while you shop for holiday gifts and decor. Visit marketsquarefarmersmarket.org. • FREE

Send your events to calendar@knoxmercury.com

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Streaming 24.7.365 at WUTKRADIO.COM December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 35

Photos by Kim Trevathan

OUTDOORS

Out side Insider

Dashing Through the Woods A quick guide to trail-running sites in the Knoxville area

BY KIM TREVATHAN

T

he first trail runner, I’m guessing, was a Neanderthal in minimalist footwear fleeing a saber-toothed tiger. About 300,000 years later came seasonal trail runners, motivated less by predators than by a desire to fend off the soporific effects of the holidays.

They begin their regimes around Thanksgiving, their shuffling gait hidden in the woods far from the open roadways, paved sidewalks, and treadmills of the more conventional holiday jogger.

What follows is my most recent foray into trail running, an adventurous calorie-burning activity with fringe benefits for the mind and the spirit.

EAST LAKESHORE

A couple of days before Thanksgiving I drove 17 miles from Maryville to my home trail, the East Lakeshore system that winds alongside Tellico Lake, mostly off of State Route 95.

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

Among the many trailheads for East Lakeshore, I chose Mizell, off Jackson Bend Road, where I had never seen more than one other car in the parking lot.

You can go two ways from here: down Baker Hollow Branch toward rocky Mizell Bluff, a tempting spot to pause and reflect after a half mile uphill; or to the right at the trail sign on the Canal Branch, my preference.

The first half-mile is either downhill or flat, and you enter a dream-like quarter-mile stretch over cushiony pine needles, the scent of the towering grove an energizing tonic. It’s about a mile and a half before the trail turns to gravel, an easy 3-mile run with a short, steep uphill on the return, at the end.

All of the East Lakeshore system (30 miles) is good for runs. It’s mostly deserted, especially in the winter, and there’s a loop of 2.4 miles at the

Coytee Branch, an interpretive trail with labeled trees, and halfway through, a bench with a peaceful view of the lake.

One caution about East Lakeshore: You might see deer, and you also might see people who are hunting deer. About a mile in on Canal Branch, I met a young woman with a shouldered long gun and orange hunting vest, her face blackened like a warrior. She smiled as I ambled past her.

I.C. KING PARK

My intent was to run a couple of trails to get in shape and try to keep up with Noah Bowman, a colleague at Maryville College who has run trails for 10 years, a veteran of over 50 races. On a dreary Black Friday, we picked I.C. King, off Alcoa Highway, his home trail.

It’s good to have a home trail, said Bowman, where you know every hill and snag, the hidden stumps, and the flora and fauna.

He said I.C. King was a good choice for someone just starting out again, because the network of trails (built by mountain bikers) allow for beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs. At the trailhead, he asked me if I was going to hide my car keys somewhere.

“Why would I do that?” I asked, and then I remembered a few years back stumbling in the middle of a run at the Land Between the Lakes, my

Left: About a half-mile in on the Meadow Loop Trail at Fort Loudoun State Historic Park, this bench reinforces a trailrunning mantra. Right: This is the trailhead at Seven Islands State Birding Park. keys flying out of my hand and disappearing somewhere in the leaves. Bowman prefers running empty handed: no phone, no keys, no wallet or music or map.

When he started talking about a trail called King’s Crown, I knew I was in trouble. Let’s just say I did some walking up those three crowns, the first one called Everest, the second called Middle, and the last one Kimble’s Ladder.

At any point, Bowman said, we could descend the crown to the flatter trail below, called Wimp’s Pass, but how could I not gasp and stumble my way up the last point of the crown, a namesake hill?

On the way out, on flat Everest Low Trail, I was cruising along at what I thought was a good pace, when a helicopter-like sound came from the treeline above us: a great blue heron swooped out into the open to a new fishing spot across Knob Creek embayment.

The best part of this run of about 3 miles was the recovery: drinking a cold beer and looking out over the still water of the embayment. I slumped on the concrete bench, gasping for breath between sips, and Bowman, not even breathing hard, cavorted on the shoreline.

OUTDOORS town to trail Photo by Noah Bowman

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Left: The author at I.C. King at the King’s Crown Trailhead, hoping to diminish Thanksgiving bloat.

Right: These two deer were at Fort Loudoun State Historic Park.

Trail running, Bowman said, is superior to running on pavement because there’s “better scenery…, cleaner air, more solitude, better connection to nature, and less distractions.” It’s also better for your joints.

Because you’re running on varied terrain, he said, constantly adjusting for roots and rocks and ups and downs, you don’t have the “constant balanced pounding against unforgiving concrete.”

SEVEN ISLANDS STATE BIRDING PARK

This is a great place to trail run if you’re just starting out. You’re traversing grasslands cultivated to attract birds, the trails are wide and generally soft, and there are very few blind spots or brutal hills. I started at the bluebird barn and made the mistake of ascending the Upland Trail at the outset, too much too soon, though at the top I slowed down and took in the grand vista of Chilhowee Mountain and the Smokies beyond, the French Broad River in the foreground.

What I love about the Seven Islands Loop Trail and the Seclusion Bend Trail combined is trotting alongside the slow moving French Broad, birds chirping, cawing, squawking and rustling in the leaves the whole way. A trio of deer stared

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down at me from a knoll when I’d slowed to a walking pace for a rest. For me, seeing deer never gets old. After they stare you down and dart away into the woods, it gives you an example of grace and speed to aspire to.

FORT LOUDOUN STATE HISTORIC PARK

I can almost guarantee you’ll see deer on the Meadow Loop Trail, an up-anddown route of about 3.25 miles through woods, meadow, and lakeshore, much of it thick with fallen leaves. If you run it clockwise, the hardest hill will be in the last half-mile, a curving, gravelly slope that you think will never end. After summiting, look for the deer in the last half-mile or so.

This trail is a lot more difficult than Canal Branch or Seven Islands, and after confronting two does who did not even attempt to run away from me I realized how much work I have to do to get back in shape.

Andrew Weil, in his book Healthy Aging, recommends walking and other low-impact activity for those getting up in years. Running and “extreme sports,” he writes, put older folks at risk for injury and if you really overdo it, can weaken your immune system.

Well, that’s a blow against adventure and pushing limits that I refuse to listen to. For now. Besides, what if I come upon a saber-toothed tiger?

The Knoxville Track Club has a comprehensive guide to area trail-running venues on its website: ktc.org. ◆

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY 37

’BYE

That ’70 s Girl

A Jaws Family Christmas Coming together over the victims of a plastic shark

BY ANGIE VICARS

“I

don’t know why she wanted that Jaws game for Christmas,” Mom said to my aunt and uncle as I pulled it out of the box. “We haven’t even let her see the movie.”

“It’s the coolest game ever,” I told them. “You have to pull stuff out of his mouth before he eats you.”

“I’d rather eat the Christmas dinner than be the Christmas dinner,” Uncle Wayne said with a laugh.

My brother grabbed the box. “‘Some assembly required,’” he read to me and my cousins. “That figures.

Let’s take it to the kitchen table.” After they put the fins on, we started loading his mouth with all the stuff he ate.

“He swallowed a whole tire, but it’s not even rubber,” my Cousin Dave said, holding it up. “It’s plastic.”

“He swallowed a plastic boot, too,” my brother added, showing us.

I searched for something to

impress them: “Here’s a skull and a fish skeleton.”

“It’s all just little plastic stuff,” my brother said as he examined the rest of the goods, “and there aren’t even bite marks on anything.”

“Well his teeth are too small,” Cousin Jeff informed us. He got World Book Encyclopedia volume S off the shelf and showed us picture after picture of real-life sharks. “See?” he said, pointing to great whites, and tiger sharks, and hammer heads.

“Their teeth are like a mouthful of Ginsu knives.”

“More than one row,” my brother pointed out.

Dave ran his finger over the edge of Jaws’ teeth. “These aren’t even sharp.”

“Wait,” I said. “What happens when his jaws snap shut? I bet that’s cool.”

BY MATTHEW FOLTZ-GRAY

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY December 8, 2016

www.thespiritofthestaircase.com

Jeff nudged the bottom jaw, but nothing happened. Dave whacked it with the plastic fish hook meant to snag the junk out of Jaws’ mouth. Still nothing. My brother grabbed Jaws and shook him, but the shark’s mouth didn’t slam together with the undeniable force of a true great white. It struggled to close at all, with just a weak rattle as the mouthful of junk slowly slid into his gut.

“Man,” Jeff said, shaking his head.

“Jaws is slower than Tim Conway when he plays the oldest man.”

“How come there aren’t any built-in screams?” Dave wanted to know. “I mean, where’s the horror in this Jaws?”

“This game is officially lame,” my brother said as he and my cousins got up to ditch me.

“Wait a minute,” I blurted. “I know how we can make this cool.”

I had to keep the interest of this trio of teenagers. All my other 7-year-old friends were stuck at the mercy of their own Christmas presents.

“Angie Lynn!” Mom exclaimed a couple hours later as she froze on her way past the kitchen table. “Is that my rouge you’re using on that shark?”

“We’re not using it on Jaws,” I assured her. “We’re just using it on his victims.”

“What victims?” she demanded.

“The box didn’t say anything about victims. Is that Malibu Barbie hanging out of his mouth?”

“Well, she was already an

amputee,” my brother explained as the rest of the adults joined us in the kitchen.

“There’s that poor Sunshine Family baby that Angie got a couple Christmases ago,” Aunt Evangeline said.

“Didn’t it get run over on the electric race track?”

Dad leaned down for a closer look.

“Is that your Ken doll’s head in there?” he asked. “I thought I glued that on for good.”

“Not for good, Uncle Jack.

Remember when you taught us about solvents?” Jeff said and held up a bottle of nail-polish remover he found in the bathroom.

“I also told you all to use catsup for blood, not your mother’s makeup,” Dad reminded us.

“Is this any way to celebrate Christmas?” Mom said, snatching her rouge jar as Jeff and Dave tried to wipe their red fingers on each other’s pants.

My brother started moving Jaws’ mouth, shaking his victims from side to side.

“I’m not a shark, ma’am,” he said.

“I’m just a dolphin.”

The adults looked puzzled, but the kids all burst out laughing.

“Sorry Mom,” I said with a grin, “but this is the best Christmas we’ve ever had.” ◆ Angie Vicars writes humorous essays and seriously good Web content for UT. In a former incarnation, she authored My Barbie Was an Amputee, Yikes columns for Metro Pulse, and produced the WATE website.

’BYE

BY IAN BLACKBURN AND JACK NEELY

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MULBERRY PLACE CRYPTOQUOTE BY JOAN KEUPER Each letter takes the place of another. Hint: In this solution, “A” replaces “W”.

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December 8, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 39

9/17/16 5:00 PM

To inspire a love of science, you need balloons, blacklights, and budding minds ready for fun.

It’s the assembly kit University of Tennessee students are using to help local kids discover their potential for science.

Meet Volunteers who are making a difference at volunteers.utk.edu.